The Greatest Revenge
by Desi-Pari Always
Summary: Linnet Reynolds knew Benjamin Barker long before he met Lucy. Due to tragic circumstance, she was forced to leave London. How will she react when on her return voyage, she discovers Sweeney Todd? SWEENEY/OC...lovett lovers may be disappointed
1. Writing

**Summary: **When her love married someone else, Linnet Reynolds was devastated, when tragedy struck her once more, she was broken, and just when she thought the worst was over, she had no choice but to leave London and all she knew behind. How will she react when she find Sweeney Todd where she left Benjamin Barker?

**Author's Note: **Alright so just a little tip here that in olden days it was NOT uncommon for a person's last name to be the title of their profession (ex. Mr. Blacksmith) so because I don't know of Mrs. Lovett's maiden name, it is now Baker. Please keep and open mind when you read this and I promise Sweeney will make his appearance in either chapter 3 or chapter 4.

**General Disclaimer: **If I owned it I would SO not need scholarships for next year...but Linnet is mine and so is the idea for this cheap spin off^^

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_The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are unable to say._

_~Anaïs Nin_

Linnet Reynolds sat silently on the shaded park grass underneath the blooming jasmine tree. This was her place to stop her day; to simply think; to wander in her imagination. In her lap sat a pile of pages, corners fluttering lightly as the wind tried to pry them from under her hand. As she looked out upon the green grass and crystal blue water from the river she pondered the words she had written. Words that relatively described her, her life, her hopes and ultimately, the story of her dreams.

_The young woman sat by her widow, sun shining down bringing with it, a red hue to her cascading auburn hair, her sharp green eyes gazed at the lands below. The leaves of the trees blew about freely as one by one, they snapped off of their captive branches. 'If only', she thought, 'the rest of the world were like them.'_

Another page wrote about happiness in the purest of forms as a girl still so full of youth danced through the fields of flowers.

_The little girl laughed gaily as the petals swam through the air and tickled her blushing face. She reached out to stroke the soft blades of grass around her and squealed with glee when she felt the soft fluttering of a butterfly's wings brush her fingers as it flew to some faraway home as quickly as it could possibly flee from the insanity that erupted from such joyous bliss._

Yet another page, described the lonesome sorrow she had suffered through past years.

_Never before have I survived a moment with more pain, more heartache, than that of when he left me here alone. The feeling of despair, deep within my soul, was much like that of a small child who was told on the eve of Christmas, that the jolly old Saint Nicholas would not be coming that year. And I cried._

It was this page, that somehow evaded her grasp when a large gust of wind swept through. Panicked, she reached for it while clutching the other loose pages to her breast. At that moment she wished she would have thought to place the papers she weren't writing on under the food basket by her side, however it was too late for such thoughts as her page escaped her.

She scurried to arrange her remaining papers more properly so that she could stand easily and hopefully retrieve her missing work. She very soon realized however, that her rushing nature was not needed as a certain man had already grasped it, so she sat back down. As she watched him, she saw that he was in fact **reading** the words she had written. On his face, a look of pure interest, and perhaps..._admiration?_ She thought. _It couldn't be._

Benjamin Barker was a man whom many had heard of. He was quite the prodigy of the local barber and was well on his way to becoming the town's best. As he clutched her paper in his hand, reading her words with his eyes. She felt a strong feeling wash over her. A feeling she could name quite well for having not ever felt it truly for herself, but only reading about such wonders.

Her heart began to hammer in her chest almost painfully as she saw his warm, brown eyes move up from the page to meet her gaze. His features seemed to soften further as he looked at her with sympathy. It was then that she realized her last page, the page that flew away; the page that he now held and had read, was written in her own perspective. She had written it the night her brother had left home, having felt confined by the household rules set forth by their father; Thatcher left with his bride to be and was supposedly never heard from again.

She knew better of course for they had been exchanging letters since a week after he left. He would have taken her with him had he not been short of finance. He barely had enough to buy a small place in northern Wellingborough for him and his wife, Rachelle.

Linnet quickly averted her gaze from his, suddenly finding the river a great deal more interesting than the devastatingly handsome man before her.

"Are you alright Miss Reynolds?" He asked her sweetly in a voice lavishly abundant in compassion, yet with an underlying strength, yet to be heard from naïvety.

She looked at him carefully before smiling softly and replying, "Why Mr. Barker, I was not aware you knew my name." His eyes seemed to widen slightly as a faint blush arose on his cheeks, "Those words," she continued easily, "were written a few years ago Mr. Barker and they hold no meaning." She averted her eyes for fear he would see the lie so clearly for what it was. Her fears were proven true when he stepped closer and spoke.

"Now Miss Reynolds, I hardly believe that." He ignored her earlier comment, "A person simply **cannot** write words as beautiful as yours and not mean them or feel them." He laid a gentle hand on her shoulder as he crouched by her to see her face and give her page back to her.

She took it from him slowly and smiled gratefully. "Perhaps then, I should elaborate that they hold no romantic meaning. At least not for me." Her soft, melodious voice carried towards him with the slight breeze.

"I should hope not," he chuckled, "you mention your brother twice; along down the page a little."

It was Linnet's turn to blush having forgotten the extent of the confessions in her words. "I suppose that bares evidence to my previous confession in that these words were written years ago."

"Time does not erase all wounds as they say does it?" He asked sympathetically, seating himself more comfortably next to her.

"No Mr. Barker, it does not." She tilted her face towards him, giving him a small, grateful smile.

"I still feel the pain of my mother's death." He started, attempting to get her to talk to him. However, when all he received was a sympathetic look and a small hand resting on his shoulder in comfort, he chose a different approach, "I also can still feel the horrible sludge of a pie made by the young Miss Baker." He smirked.

"Mrs. Baker's pies are fantastic, what are you talking about?" She protested, moving her hand to lightly slap his chest.

"Ah, that is true, but you should take notice that I used the title Miss, not Mrs."

"You can't mean Nellie."

"Indeed I can. She's a lovely woman and she's trying to learn from her mother but the woman just **cannot** cook to save her life!" He chuckled, and was more than pleased when he heard her laughter chiming with him.

"I'll remember that the next time I feel in the mood for a meat pie." She laughed.

"Between you and me," He whispered, looking around to make sure no one was listening in, almost as if admitting a scandal, "I hightailed it to Madame Mooney's."

"Mr. Barker!" She gasped in fake shock, "Where is your loyalty?" She referred to the ongoing rivalry between Mooney's and Baker's pies.

"To my stomach!" He laughed once more, "I only just managed to escape now while she was practicing again. Though now that leaves me sadly with an empty stomach." He pouted playfully and earned another giggle for his efforts.

"Would you like to share with me my lunch?" She asked, the laughter still clearly evident in her eyes and voice.

"I wouldn't wish to impose on you Miss Reynolds."

"Please Mr. Barker, I insist. In fact, I'd consider it an insult if you declined." She replied, pulling out her homemade bread and a ration of seasoned meat.

"Well alright then, but only so on the condition that you call me Benjamin, or Ben if you like, Mr. Barker makes me sound rather old don't you think? That, and I have not yet been trapped in the _joys_ of matrimony." He smirked with a chuckle at his wordings.

"Very well then Benjamin," Linnet replied, choosing to ignore his comment on marriage, "But then you must in turn call me Linnet."

"Agreed." He nodded his head to affirm that he would before accepting the portion of her meal he had been handed. Upon taking his first bite his brows shot into his hairline and he savored the taste on his tongue. The meat was cooked to perfection and the bread still held that soft and giving texture, usually only found fresh out of the oven, indicating it had been very recently baked. "Did you make this?"

"Indeed I did Mr...I mean Benjamin." She blushed.

"It is delightful Linnet...you have a small soup shop nearby Fleet Street do you not?"

"Yes I do." She replied smiling.

"Then I think I may just have to pay you a visit whenever Nellie is in her training. Or perhaps just a friendly talk?" He asked hopefully.

Linnet smiled, "I would like that very much Benjamin. Very much indeed. It does get a bit lonely for me what with Father always out and about. Ever since Thatcher left home my only escape was through my writing. And occasionally when I was creating something new in the kitchen. One tends to forget one's woes when their mind is occupied." She seemed to become flustered and embarrassed by her confession to him and blushed profusely having thought she said too much.

Benjamin seemed to pick up on her feelings of being uncomfortable and chuckled to lighten the mood replying, "You're a bit nutty aren't you? Perhaps I shall call you that. Better yet, your name is Linnet, therefore I shall call you Netty." His eyes gleamed in amusement letting her know he meant nothing to offend her.

"And you call me the nut." She chuckled, rolling her eyes.

And so it became that Benjamin Barker and Linnet Reynolds became friends. The closer they became, the more they discovered they had much in common. They both enjoyed reading and both hated sitting properly and sipping tea while making some such _pleasant_ conversation. However, they both loved sitting quietly outside in beautiful scenes of nature and merely basking in one's own thoughts. Neither needed to have every silence filled with meaningless chatter, and were often content to just sit in each other's presence. It came to be that the two spent so much of their time together that the townsfolk began to think them to be courting.

And though Linnet would have loved for those rumours to be true, much to her displeasure, Benjamin Barker remained simply and solely her friend. Of this, Linnet became forcibly and painfully aware, the day Benjamin Barker, met his golden Lucy.

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	2. Pain

**Author's Note:** Thank you Neighbourhood Squirrals for my first review and as always thank you ThePurpleness remember for those you read that former last names were not given in the play or the movie (as far as I remember I could be wrong, if so correct me) so Lucy is now an Ainsworth, which was a pretty common olden last name in the 1700s in England. Remember to keep an open mind and the next chapter I promise everything picks up!

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_Possibly I know now what the soldier feels when a bullet crashes through his heart._

_~ Mark Twain_

"Netty!" Benjamin called as he walked through the doors of her shop with a broad grin plastered to his face. Linnet was carrying a rather large and heavy pot from the back kitchen and so barely managed to pass him a smile in greeting as she struggled. "Oh!" Ben still smiled as he leapt forward to steady her when she almost tripped, "Here." He offered taking the pot from her and resting it on the counter top.

"Thanks!" She gasped, resting one hand on her hip as she fought to reclaim her breath. She then moved to a much smaller pot and ladled out a bowlful, motioning at the same time for Ben to sit. "Try this, made it this morning but I'm not too sure how it came out." She said as she placed the bowl in front of him and handed him a spoon.

"New concoction?" Ben smirked.

Linnet blushed as she replied, "Well kind of; more like mixing two old recipes together to see what it came out as. Personally I like it but it does seem a bit off."

Benjamin took a tentative sip before replying, "Wow, this _is_ good...but you're right it is missing something. I'm afraid though that I'm not much of a man in the kitchen and therefore wouldn't be able to tell you what."

"Well maybe you can tell me the kind of taste it's missing?" She asked hopefully.

"Hmm," He took yet another sip before adding, "perhaps something a bit salty? Or sour-ish? No, lemony? I've no clue, I told you I'm not going to be much help. I simply enjoy the food placed in front of me yet I'm clueless as to what it is exactly I am ingesting."

"You know you might have helped me anyway." She smiled before going back to the counter and grabbing a knife and something green. She came back to him and chopped the green leaves finely into the soup and mixing it. "Now try it." She smiled.

Benjamin took one more sip and smiled triumphantly, "Perfect! What is that?" He pointed with his spoon to the remaining green leaves in her hand.

"Cilantro. My favorite."

"I think it is now mine. You know I really don't know why you stick around Fleet Street. You could make such a living over in the grander parts of London you know? Though I would miss you dearly." He placed a hand to his heart in a dramatic fashion.

"Ah, Mr. Barker you see that is why I cannot go! I would hate to break a heart such as yours. Plus, if I left I'm fairly certain you would die of starvation now that Nellie is in charge of all the cooking. Poor Mrs. Baker's shop is going to run straight into the ground." She chuckled.

Ben smiled and then his eyes grew, "Oh, I forgot to tell you the news I came here for in the beginning!"

"And that would be?" She laughed at his enthusiasm while going back to clean down the counter and adjusting the temperatures under the soup pots.

"I think I'm in love." He sighed with a lost daydreaming look on his face.

"Oh yeah?" She appeared to look nonchalant, "What's her name?"

He paused slightly before answering, "I don't know."

Linnet's brow furrowed, "How do you talk to a person and not find out their name?"

"Oh that's very simple," he smiled sheepishly, "I didn't."

"Well you're none for two." She chuckled, relaxing slightly, "So how do you know you love her if you've only seen her?"

"Now come on Netty, you're a romantic aren't you? What with all your reading and writing every spare minute you've got. Surely you must know of a little thing called love at first sight?" He waggled his brows at her while taking another spoonful of soup to his eager mouth.

Linnet sighed for she certainly did know the joys of love at first sight, having experienced it with Benjamin herself, though he was still quite oblivious to her affections of him and she highly doubted if anything would become of her admiration; especially now that he'd found someone special to him. "I suppose you're right." She sighed, "Look Ben if you really do believe yourself to be in love with this woman whom you've never spoken one word to, nor learned her name, I suppose then as your friend I should support your lunacy; however," she continued upon seeing his slight frown immediately light up into the beautiful smile she adored, "I highly suggest that you get to know her _first_. Don't do anything rash Barker, just take her out for a stroll in the park and then see how your emotions fare."

"Thank you Netty." He smiled, standing up and embracing her quickly, "I knew you'd know what to do." He took one last, large gulp of the soup calling back to her, "That really is a great new recipe Nets." before he jogged out the door and in the direction of the barber shop to work.

Linnet sighed as she slumped down into his vacated seat. She finished his soup dejectedly, smiling sadly. The recipe was now perfect and would be ready for sale tomorrow after she worked out quantities and bought more cilantro. She stared into the empty bowl and found tears brimming her eyes, knowing her love would never be reciprocated from Benjamin Barker. She had to wonder if she would ever find love.

As she spent all time pining after a love that couldn't be, she failed to notice any other man vying for her attention. Though that could perhaps be because of the rumours spreading of her and Benjamin's courtship. She didn't perceive herself as ugly by any means, she knew she was not. However she wasn't exactly a catch in London either.

Men wanted high class women with pale skin that showed they didn't dare leave the house without their parasol. Women with fair hands that showed they hadn't worked a day in their life. Women with petite and lithe frames as no proper woman had use of physical strength. Women with blonde hair and blue eyes were considered God's gift to man.

Linnet was none of those things. Though she was well educated she held no place in the aristocracy. Her skin was lightly tanned from all her days spent outside or in the park. Her hands were slightly calloused from all the housework she did as she lived alone, and her arms were slightly defined from lifting the heavy pots back and forth. Her hair was auburn and her eyes were emerald,, just as she wrote the character playing out in her stories.

They were her most defining features, her eyes. They told her mood and they expressed her innermost soul. While she was very good at hiding her emotions to the general public, the people who knew her, could always tell what was real from lies. She couldn't hide from her brother, who could read her like a book, and she couldn't hide from Benjamin, who knew her innermost desires...well all except for one of them.

News soon spread among all the gossip mongers that Benjamin Barker had officially declared courtship with Lucy Ainsworth. This caught many by surprise and all turned eyes to Linnet to see how she was taking the news. When the old biddies saw that she was taking everything in stride, they huffed in annoyance at being proven wrong.

Benjamin and Lucy kept an appropriate courtship and then married as soon as was appropriate. Linnet was seen crying as she held Lucy's train and while everyone, even Benjamin saw them as tears of joy, she was dying slowly inside, with each and every step she took behind Lucy. She had gotten to know the fair woman and she had to admit, if it had to be someone, she was happy it was Lucy.

Benjamin deserved all the happiness in the world, and she was willing to support another woman, if it was the other woman he so desired. As it was, he did. She and Lucy somehow managed to become friends. Linnet was still able to keep her daily meetings with Benjamin as Lucy completely understood their friendship.

All seemed to be going well, everyone was happy, and everyone was prospering greatly in their business ventures. Even the newly wed, Mrs. Lovett, who had managed to find the trick to making a proper meat pie...not burning it.

Alas, nothing is ever as it seems, and happiness, often comes at a great price.

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**reviews make me happy and more eager to write!!!**


	3. Tragedy

**Author's Note: **Thank yous go out to Chaseslover01, linalove, and of course ThePurpleness. Please excuse the language at the end of this chapter but remember what the term really means. You'll see when you get there.

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_In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright! At the melancholy menace of their tone!_

_~Edgar Allen Poe (The Bells)_

Benjamin and Lucy Barker had been happily married now for about a year and a half. Linnet had long since come to terms with her feelings, and managed to put them far into the recesses of her mind. That is not to say she had forgotten them. Oh heavens no. She could never forget the feeling she received whenever Benjamin looked directly into her eyes with his own glowing orbs, smiling so brightly, she couldn't help but smile herself.

Lucy had proved to be a fine wife for Benjamin and a very good friend to Linnet. Nellie however seemed slightly put off. As that first year moved on it seemed more and more that Nellie entered a marriage of convenience and glared behind Lucy's back whenever she saw how Benjamin came at her beck and call, the lovesick puppy that he was.

None the less all was going seemingly well. Until one fateful day when Linnet's life changed forever once more. It seemed that when the fates had spelled out her future, they had foreseen nothing but sorrow for the poor woman.

People had grown increasingly curious about the going ons around Fleet street. Rumours had flown about the three women in Mr. Barker's life and though Nellie usually was overlooked, his wife and his friend were not. One such person was a man by the name of Michael J. Reuben. He had had his eyes on Linnet since the day Benjamin got married. Despite the fact that he had seen far prettier in his standards, he had found her to be quite possibly the most interesting of women that he had ever had the pleasure of viewing and found himself quite inappropriately having the odd fantasy about her.

He had to have her.

And what Micheal wanted, Micheal somehow, someway, _always_ got.

"Linnet may I confide in you?" Lucy asked as she watched her stirring and adjusting one of her more famous recipes before the shop opened for that day.

"Of course Lucy, you know you never have to ask." Linnet replied absent mindedly, not realizing what she was getting herself into.

"Well you see it's about me and Ben. Or rather, just me. Or...well I don't know really." As she fumbled around her words, Linnet stopped stirring and looked up at her friend.

"Lucy, what's wrong? I thought you and Ben had a wonderful relationship, he adores you."

"Oh not it's not that." Lucy quickly amended, "You see the thing is, for quite some time now...oh dear me I feel foolish even thinking of saying this." She blushed.

"Come on now Lucy, you know whatever it is, I will not judge."

"Well then, for quite some time now Ben and I have been trying to...well um, have been trying to _conceive_." She whispered the last word despite the absence of people.

Linnet deadpanned. When she offered Lucy an ear she had absolutely _no_ idea that _this_ was what she had wanted to get off her chest. "Um, alright?"

"Well we've been trying for some time now with no success and I just don't know what we should do. I know this seems awkward but I just know how much Benjamin wants a little child and I feel awful that the _one_ thing he has asked for from this marriage is the one thing I have yet to give him!" Lucy huffed and buried her head in her folded arms as she sat at a table.

"I'm sorry Lucy." Linnet sat next to her and placed a gentle hand on her back, "But I don't know what to say. It's not as though I've been in a similar predicament."

Lucy sighed, "I'm sorry, I just had to tell someone and get it off of my chest, and somehow I don't think our dear Nellie would have been too sympathetic. Is it just me or does she have her eyes set on my husband?"

"Believe me you're not the only one who's noticed. Why do you think Benjamin always comes over this way when he's got a spare minute?"

Lucy chuckled, "I assumed it was because of his love for you."

"Love?" Linnet choked, then upon immediately realizing what Lucy meant she amended herself, "Heavens no!" She chuckled, hiding her broken heart, "Sadly, I am just an escape." She mocked a dramatic sadness.

Lucy smiled as she stood, "Well I'm sure you must be about ready to open shop so perhaps I should be getting back."

"Alright, I'll see you around lunch then?" Linnet asked returning the smile.

"Absolutely." And with one final wave, she was out the door. Linnet sighed in relief, her secret love was still just that. She then straightened out her dress and moved to the front and changed her sign to open.

Almost five minutes after she changed the sign, in walked a man she had seen hanging around often when Benjamin was here however he had never come in this early before. He was a fairly short man in height, in fact Linnet stood at eye level with the man, but what he lacked in height, he made up for in size. It was quite clear that this man did not just get by life throwing together socials. He was a working man and Linnet would have found him slightly attractive were it not for the manic gleam in his eye. Something was not quite right with this man, though she was not sure what she could do about it.

"Good morning sir and what can I get for you?" She asked in her normal pleasant voice reserved for customers.

"Some morning porridge and a bit of warm bread should do just fine thank you." His voice, though slightly off sounding, was pleasant enough in return.

"Very well then, just take a seat anywhere you like and I'll have it in just a moment." She replied with a conserved smile. She could feel his eyes following her as she turned to pour his breakfast and bent to retrieve the bread from the oven. That sense of foreboding, of ambiguity followed her as she moved about the kitchen. "Here you are." She said, looking at her placement of the bowl on the table rather than the man himself.

"Thank you." The words sounded carefully said, as if he were controlling the way they came out of his mouth. Though she refused to look him in the face, it did not stop her from feeling his cold and calculating gaze upon her.

"If you'll excuse me." She gave him a nod of her head and moved back behind the counter where she felt slightly more comfortable. Slowly, as customers piled in, she began to relax and slip back into her normal daily routine. Her sense of comfort elevated even greater when the man left at the precise moment Benjamin entered.

Linnet shook her head in amusement at her own discomfort at the beginning of the day. Clearly all was well as usual. She bid Ben good day after he finished his lunch and closed the shop after both he and Lucy had finished their dinner discussing plans for a romantic night out, just the two of them for once instead of Nellie and Albert tagging along as usual. Linnet laughed at the look on the couple's face as they mentioned the intrusions and winked at them as they left.

While she tiredly set to work cleaning up the shop and locking things up, Linnet took inventory and realized that she was actually running quite low on a few things. At this rate, breakfast would be a disaster. Huffing at her misfortune, she put on her cloak and snatched her purse from the back, being sure to lock all her doors before she left, she scurried on her way to the market before all the shops closed down for the evening. Supplies wouldn't be fresh but they hopefully would suffice until she could get through the breakfast rush and gather more supplies then.

After a good half hour spent shopping, Linnet was on her way back towards her home with one full paper sack cradled in her arms and she was just about falling asleep on her feet as she walked. Suddenly things seemed to get darker and her sack felt heavier in her arms. Shadows loomed in every corner and a hard, black sense of dread overflowed her mind.

She was being followed.

The next thing Linnet knew, she was thrown into an alley and her clothing was being ripped from her. Her attacker showed no mercy as he ravaged her neck and chest, making sure to keep one hand planted firmly over her mouth to keep her screams from echoing down every street from London to Leeds. Tears welled in her eyes at the brutal pain coursing through her body and just before the soothing relief of a dark unconsciousness overwhelmed her mind, she saw the face of the man she served that morning.

The face of Michael J. Reuben.

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Linnet awoke in a warm bed, wrapped safely in a woolen comforter. Her first thought was simply that her experience was a terrible nightmare, but the shooting pain between her legs when she attempted to sit up proved otherwise.

She broke.

Her sobs echoed throughout the room and apparently into the next room over for as soon as they began, a distraught looking Benjamin along with an emotional looking Lucy rushed into the room to attempt to comfort her.

Once she had calmed down enough to hear the words they were saying, she found that the two had discovered her lying in the alley as they were walking home from their nighttime stroll in the park. Linnet merely sat stiffly staring off at the far wall as she recounted her tale for them in a monotonous voice.

As her words continued a furious look began to cross Benjamin's face. His cheeks began to redden in anger and his usually warm, brown eyes began to blacken. He wanted to track down her assailant and do such illegal things to him. However, Benjamin was but a lowly barber without a clue where to begin his search for this mystery rapist, what was he to do?

"Do you know who did this to you Netty?" He asked her as he sat carefully next to her and held her frozen hand in his warm ones.

"No." She replied, "I don't know his name." She wasn't truly lying, she did not know the man by name, merely by appearance.

"Are you sure? You don't have an inkling? Surely you must have seen at least his face." Lucy pressed. When in reply, Linnet sobbed and pressed her own face against Benjamin's chest, he wrapped her in his arms and gave his wife a look indicating she should drop the matter.

"Shh, Linnet, it's alright now, you're safe. You can stay here as long as you like, I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. You're safe now Nets, you're safe." He whispered in her ear as he held her close and rubbed her back soothingly. Slowly, her sobs seemed to ebb and his soothing motions along with his whispers helped lull her into a restless sleep. When he felt her fall onto him even more, he realized she was asleep and lay her down comfortably, tucking her in once more.

Linnet did not surface from the depression that held her captive. She barely ate and rarely spoke. She cried often and wallowed in misery even more than that. Days turned to weeks of which the fifth brought something strange.

Linnet's stomach lurched and she heaved herself out of bed and into the bathroom where she emptied her stomach of what little contents she had gathered. Suddenly everything in her mind snapped into focus. Everything in her mind changed from melancholy acceptance, to arrant defense. She knew she had to leave London.

Or she would risk not only her own humble standings with her shop, but also the life of her unborn bastard.

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	4. Beginnings

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE:** I realize this chapter is short but I am so close to going on a **writer's strike** right now that this is the best I could do. People are reading and they are alerting and favoriting (doubt that's a word but w/e) and yet NOT REVIEWING!!! YOU **DON'T NEED AN ACCOUNT** TO REVIEW EITHER! And if you don't want to leave a public review a private message works too. Please! I'm actually **begging** here for more people to review. **On this and pirates.** Pirates **will not be updated** until I get a minimum of seven reviews...so far I have THREE! I realize this is relatively a new story so I'm **not** demanding a quota for **this **one but **please review if you read it!!!**

lyrics:  
**bold - sweeney  
**underlined - linnet  
plain - antony

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_A Journey of a thousand miles begins with the very first step._

_~ Chinese Proverb_

(Eighteen years later)

Three people stood at the bow of a grand ship; one, a man, stood with rigid posture as he glared at the dark, foreboding atmosphere, seemingly surrounding the entire world around. The second, a boy on the verge of manhood, stood with a smile on his face as he wondered at all the magnificence he would see in the oncoming town. The third, oddly a woman, stood with an almost worm expression if not for the smallest of smiles she gave to the young boy who now sang,

"I have sailed the world beheld its wonders,

from the Dardanelles to the mountains of Peru,

but there's no place like London!"

"**No there's no place like London!**" The voice of the man hissed as his glare seemed to icen.

"Mr. Todd?" The boy asked, unsure of the man's mood.

"You are young," The woman interrupted, saving the man from having to explain himself, "Life has been kind to you," she paused and a look of despair seemed to pass fleetingly over her face, gone in an instant as bitterness replaced it, "You will learn."

In answer the man spat vehemently,

"**There's a hole in the world like a great black pit**

**and the vermin of the world inhabit it,**"

"And it's morals aren't worth what a pig could spit,"

"**And it goes by the name of London**."

"At the top of the hole sit a privileged few,

making mock of the vermin in the lower zoo,"

"**Turning beauty into filth and greed**

**I too have sailed the world and seen its wonders,**"

"For the cruelty of men,"

"**Is as wondrous as Peru,**"

"**But there's no place like London!**"

"Is everything alright Mum? Mr. Todd?" The young boy asked.

"Begging your indulgence Antony," Mr. Todd replied, "My mind is far from easy."

"What happened to you sir?" The woman asked carefully, "That has you hell bend against a place I too shudder to call my home?"

"**There was a barber and his wife,**

**and she was beautiful.**

**A foolish barber and his wife,**

**she was his reason and his life,**

**and she was beautiful!**

**And she was virtuous!**

**And he was...**

**naïve.**"

His voice seemed to wither in pain as he recalled his past. Antony had left to see the oncoming shore from other viewpoints before his mother's question was answered, allotting her and their new friend some privacy. He knew his mother would not want him to hear the going ons of her past just yet. Maybe not ever.

Still at the bow, the woman placed a hand on Mr. Todd's shoulder, attempting to give some comfort as he recounted his tale,

"**There was another man who saw**

**that she was beautiful.**

**A pious vulture of the law,**

**who with a gesture of his claw,**

**removed the barber from his plate!**

**Then there was nothing but to wait!**

**And she would fall,**

**so soft,**

**so young,**

**so lost,**

**and oh so beautiful!**"

The poor man's voice broke as he withheld the tears that longed to break free.

"And?" The woman asked, "Did she succumb?"

"**Oh that was many years ago.**

**I doubt if anyone would know.**"

His icy gaze returned, "It seems that I am forever destined to lose all the women I care deeply for."

"What do you mean by that?"

"A year or so into our marriage, my best friend, a woman who looks much like you oddly but much lighter in spirit and in her eyes, decided she would be better off without me. Two years later we discovered my wife to be pregnant with our daughter. I wouldn't be too shocked if I have lost all three now."

"Don't be so sure, you never know what hands life may deal you." The woman answered.

"Why did you leave me Netty?" For a moment, a man once known as Benjamin shone through the eyes of Mister Todd, and Linnet Reynolds smiled at him.

"I never left you. I never could if I tried. I left London, but never you." When his eyes still held question, her smile turned reminiscent as she looked at Antony.

"You...were...he's...he's yours?" Sweeney pointed at the boy, "I mean, he's yours...from when..."

"He is seventeen Sweeney. I left London almost eighteen years ago."

"You left as soon as you found out then."

"To my brother in Wellingborough."

"And now you're back."

"To find my best friend and his family again."

"You must be sorely disappointed."

"With him? No."

"Why?"

"Because I found him."

"No you didn't."

"Did."

"Not."

"Oh you insufferable man." She sighed as he smirked.

"See? I told you. Your best friend would never agitate you the way I, an insufferable man, do."

"Clearly, you didn't know him as well as I did then." She smirked.

Sweeney Todd's face deadpanned as Benjamin Barker was slowly repressed once more. "I am not like that man anymore Netty." He said, "I doubt I ever will be again and I warn you. Do not go looking for him."

No sooner had he finished his sentence did a voice proclaim, "LAND HO!" in jest as they were docked. Sweeney thanked Antony briefly for having saved his life and began to walk away before,

"Mr. Todd!" Linnet called as she walked nearer, "If you are ever in need of a friendly war, a helping hand, or simply a good meal, please do not hesitate to walk through the doors of my shop. Besides Mooney's pies, you won't find another decent meal for miles." She chuckled.

Sweeney gave the briefest of smirks before he turned and stalked away. _I will not give up on you Sweeney Todd. The man I know, the man I loved is still there inside of you. The proof lies in the way you say my name. I will always be your Netty._ With these fleeting thoughts, Linnet gestured to Antony that he may go explore as he wished, then she herself turned to Fleet Street, to salvage what she could of her home.

She hoped Nellie hadn't sneaked over to steal her ageless wines or sell any of her possessions but knowing that old biddy like she did, she did not hold high hopes. Especially seeing that times seemed to be down and hard on a woman alone. Nellie always was one to grab up an easy pound when she could.


	5. Taking Notice

**Author's Note:** THANK YOU!!! Thanks to the awesome reviews this is my longest chapter yet, more than 3,000 words!!! Keep up the reviews and the chapters will come more regularly and hopefully can be just as long.

Thanks to: Angels-heart1, BeBopALula, PessimistWhoIsOptimistic, HadleyConlon, XxJonah-is-SexyxX, and my-forgotten-rose

Double thanks to: linalove, and ThePurpleness (as in my mini tirade in the last chapter I forgot to thank you)

And amazing thanks to: MidnaLovesLinktotheendoftime, who reviewed each chapter.

You guys rock! Enjoy!

**I mean no religious offense to anyone when Sweeney rants!**

lyrics:  
**bold - sweeney  
**underlined - linnet  
_italics underlined - lovett_

* * *

_Do not look back on the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it is yet to come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering._

_~ Unknown_

Linnet coughed as she cleaned out yet another dusty rag from her long day of cleaning. She had been cleaning for hours and her room looked no better for ware than before, let alone the shop. _At this rate,_ she thought, _it'll be a while before I can open for business again._ She sighed and wiped her brow of sweat before sitting herself at a table she had finally managed to wipe and scrub clean. _Eighteen years worth of dust and dirt, how in the world is one woman supposed to clean it all?_ She thought. She leaned back slightly, resting her head on her shoulders and gently closed her eyes for a quick five minute rest before she got back to work.

Twenty minutes later, Sweeney Todd walked quietly through the door of her shop to find Linnet sleeping atop her folded arms on the table. He noticed a slight improvement over the rest of the shop in small places and realized she had probably been at it non-stop since they arrived. A minuscule smile secretively made its way to his face as he looked at her face in sleep. Despite years of hardship and having had her soul torn to shreds because of that foul man, Linnet was still a picture of beauty to him.

Though her hair was now a single shade of earthy brown and no longer held that certain sheen, it still fell softly about her face as she slept. He clenched his fingers in an effort to keep them by his side instead of reaching out and running them through her tresses as he wished. Her face, though paler than before and now slightly more defined having lost weight, was at peace as she slept and seemed to glow with the little light streaming through the filthy windows.

Sweeney sat across from her at the table as he regarded his friend. He closed his eyes and remembered a time where Benjamin Barker thought himself in love with her. She was strong while at the same time vulnerable, she was uniquely beautiful in a way not many women could posses; it was as if her imperfections made her perfect, she knew when to stand her ground and when she was in over her head and she always had the ability to brighten up Benjamin's day no matter how much went wrong. The more time he spent with her, the more certain Benjamin was that Linnet was the woman for him. Still though, something felt slightly wrong. Something stopped him, every time he tried to bring up the subject of courtship, from speaking.

Then one day Benjamin saw a vision walking delicately and ever so gracefully down the street with a parasol over her shoulder. He was convinced that it was none other than love at first sight. This was the reason he felt some other force stopping him from speaking up about his supposed feelings towards his friend. The fates had created an angel for him. A woman perfect in every way. He knew she was to be his. She was beautiful and kind and he somehow knew that Linnet would approve of her as well. And approve she did. Linnet was nothing but supportive and even helped move things along when poor, naïve Benjamin knew not what to do to keep hold of his love's heart. _More than I could ever say for that blasted Lovett._ Sweeney scoffed. Benjamin was well aware of young Nellie's wandering eyes even after she was wed, and he was none too pleased about it; but as Nellie had never acted upon such foolish desires he had let it be.

Now Benjamin was gone, or trapped, deep within the very core of the man called Sweeney Todd. Nellie still pined after him, though now she was much more bold as neither one was attached. Or so she believed. Benjamin would always belong to Lucy. And Sweeney belonged to Benjamin's wrath. So who was it that Nellie so pined for?

Sweeney sighed as he remembered the reason for coming to his friend's home. His Lucy was forever gone to him now. No, not him. Benjamin. Benjamin would never have Lucy again...but he was Sweeney now right? He was more confused than he could ever remember being.

"Netty?" He whispered, attempting to judge just how deep into sleep she had fallen. When she slightly stirred and then fell back into the crook of her arm he chuckled slightly. She seemed much like a small child. He shook his head and decided his problems could wait until morning. He stood and moved around to pick her up gently and take her to where he assumed was her bedroom. He placed her down on the spotless bed, obviously she had tackled this first knowing it would take more than one day to clean everything, and gently placed the covers around her. "Goodnight Nets." He whispered before heading back to his own home. Or what was his home.

* * *

The next morning when Linnet awoke in her bed she was much confused, she could have sworn she fell asleep at the table and the small kink in her neck only helped to convince her of the same. She stood and walked to the front of the shop and the first thing to catch her eye was something small and glinting in the faint light. As she walked towards it and picked it up she realized it was the key to the front door. Someone had locked her door and slipped the key back through the mail slot. And she had a sneaking suspicion as to who.

Smiling at her friend's care of her she went back to her room and readied herself for a new day. Antony had obviously not come back as of yet, probably choosing to stay at a local keep rather than coming home to mother. Taking a small purse with just enough to buy some groceries to last a few days, she left the house to be the first in line. It wouldn't do to show up late and have the pick of the soggy vegetables and the bruised fruit. Thankfully, unlike most in London, she did not require meat as a part of her daily diet. She considered that more of a luxury.

Once she had acquired two full paper sacks, she walked back to Fleet Street and up to Benjamin's old shop where she assumed Sweeney had taken up residence. As she walked in she saw him standing by the far side window, his arms crossed as he stared at her. He must have been looking out the window and seen her walking down the street. "Morning Sweeney, how are you today?" She asked warmly. She received only a shrug in return. "Well, would you like to come over for a spot of breakfast? Nellie most likely won't be up for another half hour and this way I can thank you for taking such good care of me last night."

At these words Sweeney's uncaring demeanor slipped slightly and Linnet could have sworn she had seen the faintest blush bepaint his cheeks as he nodded and followed her out the door. Once back to her shop, Linnet began making a simple breakfast porridge with the essentials she had cleaned the day before. She had tackled all of the daily things first such as her bed, the stove, some kitchen utensils, and most of the bathroom, before setting to the rest of the place in a more organized manner.

While she stirred the meal, she and Sweeney attempted a conversation as she and Benjamin used to. This proved to be much more difficult than Linnet had thought.

In fact she was fairly certain it was easier for her to train Antony to use the loo like a big boy than it was to get Sweeney to act like Benjamin once more. Never the less, she tried...and failed miserably. It was only then that an idea floated through her mind.

"Sweeney?" She asked.

"Hmm?" He answered, barely looking up from his bowl once she had served it.

"What was it you came by for yesterday?" She asked, blowing on a spoonful before slipping it into her mouth.

"Netty..." Sweeney sighed and put down his spoon before standing and moving to one of the windows she had cleaned for some light, "Benjamin is gone. There is no use trying to bring him back. Now that his Lucy is no more, he has no reason to stay."

"Oh Sweeney I'm so sorry. What did that other man do?" She asked going to stand by him but upon seeing his face, twisted in such a dark manner, she realized touching him, even in comfort, would be a mistake at this point. "And who was it that did it?"

"A man who is supposed to look after London. A man who is supposed to support the poor and work for the people instead of his own selfish desires. A man so sick, twisted, and impossibly deceitful, he stopped at nothing to forcibly take my wife in the middle of a room filled with laughing bastards, mocking the poor thing, thinking she was nothing more than a common _whore!_" He spat, "He forced her to the apothecary where she swallowed the arsenic that ended her misery. If only it were that easy for me." He hung his head so as to hide his sorrow and blink the tears away, "He stole my daughter, raised her to make her believe her parents are both dead and left her to him. I shudder to think what he could have done to her in those many years I was gone."

"Couldn't Nellie have done anything to stop it?" Linnet asked, "Surely you entitled a godmother for the poor babe."

"Lucy would appoint no one but you." He sighed, "She said to name anyone else would be an insult to the friendship the three of us had shared. And with no guardians otherwise appointed, it became _his_ job to see to it that every citizen was taken care of." Sweeney spoke mockingly, as if spitting on the very memory of the man in question, "Of course poor Nellie was a woman living on her own earnings what with Albert having died so mysteriously and with the economy fading as it was, Turpin decided it was his job to look after the _dear orphan._"

"Turpin?" Linnet gasped, "As in _Judge_ Turpin? Why that's positively evil!"

"Yes well, that's him. He is the cause of all of my problems."

"Sweeney," She whispered, placing a soft hand on his shoulder as her face shone with only concern, "what will you do now?"

"Revenge." He growled, "I will get revenge for all that man has done to me."

"Then I'll help you." Linnet replied without hesitation, "And don't you dare try to say otherwise Sweeney Todd."

"Or you'll what? Feed me to death?" Sweeney asked sarcastically, cocking a brow at her.

"If I have to." She chuckled as Sweeney's face immediately deadpanned and promptly contorted in confusion.

"What?" He asked.

"I don't know you said it." She smirked.

"Woman, you are not getting involved in this and that's final." He snapped.

"It's positively adorable how you still seem to think I listen to you." She smiled and turned to clean up the dishes, "Besides. What kind of a friend would I be if I left you to your own devices? I'll tell you not a very good one." Sweeney opened his mouth to protest but before he could utter the smallest sound she continued, "Exactly, you see my point. Besides that I feel terribly guilty about not informing you of my leaving before I did and you wouldn't want me to suffer a guilty concious for the rest of my life would you?" Here Sweeney attempted a rebuttal once more only to be cut off yet again, "No you would not, I'm glad you understand my plight Mr. Todd and now I really must get back to my cleaning so unless you intend to help I must insist that you return to your shop and think about what I've said."

"Bloody hell woman alright you can help! Jesus Christ you're worse than you were eighteen years ago! You'd think a woman would mellow down with age!"

"Did you just call me old?" Linnet snapped, glaring daggers as she placed her hands on her hips.

"What?" Sweeney's face seemed to pale even more so and he looked truly panicked. He recalled when Benjamin...poor, stupid Benjamin, had accidentally made the mistake of pointing out his wife's weight gain during the course of her pregnancy one night. That had **not** been a good night for the lad. "Um, no, no, not at all, I would never...um. Why don't I help you with the tables hmm?" He attempted damage control.

Linnet, keeping her eyes glaring at him with one hand still firmly on her hip, grabbed a rag off of the counter and threw it straight into his chest. Sweeney breathed a sigh of relief as she turned her back to him, seemingly forgiving his verbal blunder. After working for a good portion of the morning and having lunch together. Sweeney decided he had more than earned not only forgiveness for his slip-up but hopefully a bit of help in return, making his own establishment suitable enough for reopening.

Lovett was a terrible housekeeper.

Linnet agreed, with a hidden laughter in her eyes and accompanied Sweeney back to his own home. The days following went much the same. Sweeney would join her in the morning and afternoon for breakfast and lunch, helping her to clean in between, after which Linnet would join him in cleaning and suffer through dinner with him and Lovett who, much to nobody's surprise, had not improved much with her cooking skills. Soon, both of their establishments were ready for reopening.

* * *

Thursday morning rolled around and Linnet woke up bright and early to hit the market, hoping to stock enough food to last the first week of her reopening and perhaps spread the word that she was back. She also needed to pick up a small something for Sweeney. Benjamin's birthday was coming around the corner and though the man was supposedly dead, she hoped Sweeney would still appreciate the thought.

She reached between her mattress and box spring and took out a small brass key. She then opened up a floorboard from inside her small closet and pulled out a small jewelry box. Removing ten pounds from her old profits, she replaced everything and headed out the door, locking it tightly.

She had arrived at the market slightly earlier than she had intended and thus most of the produce shops were still in the process of opening for business so instead she decided to shop for Benjamin first. Although she was careful to refer to him as Sweeney out loud, in her mind she always recognized her friend for who he was.

A few hours later, she was laden down with four heavy cloth bags and one smaller paper bag. As she was walking towards her home to relieve her arms, she noticed Sweeney and Nellie walking towards a stage set up on the side of one of the larger streets. She moved to join them just as a young lad came out from behind the curtains, belting out some monstrosity of a song in dedication to some man named Pirelli who had miraculously created an elixir of hair growth.

"Load of bullocks if you ask me." She muttered to Sweeney who nodded in agreement before singing, "**Pardon me ma'am what's that awful stench?**"

"_Are we standing near an open trench?_" Nellie supplied.

"**Must be standing near an open trench.**" Sweeney agreed. The boy sang louder attempting to drown out the critique.

"**What is this?**_" _Sweeney asked handing the bottle over to Lovett before looking at Linnet and smirking as he announced, "**Smells like piss.**"

"_Smells like ew!!_"

"Wouldn't touch it if I was you dear." Linnet added, joining in on the fun.

"**This is piss, piss wiv ink.**_"_

The boy attempted to hush the rumours but Sweeney would see none of it. "Let Pirelli's activate your roots sir."

"**Keep it off your boots sir, eats right through.**"

"Yes, get Pirelli's, use a bottle of it, ladies seem to love it!"

"Flies do too!" Linnet added just as a rather flamboyant man burst from the curtains screaming his own praises. He demanded to know the origin of the obscene rumours regarding his elixir and Sweeney hesitated.

Linnet pushed the paper bag into his hand and hissed, "Open it and question me later now get up there and reveal yourself."

"I do!" He declared, placing the bag within his coat, "I am Mr. Sweeney Todd of Fleet street. I have opened a bottle of Pirelli's elixir and I say to you, that it is nothing but an arrant fraud, concocted from piss and ink. Further_more_ signor, I've serviced no kings, yet I wager that I can shave a cheek with ten times more dexterity, than any street mountebank." He paused to allow the crowd to digest his words as he pulled out his prized possessions, "You see these razors? I lay them against five pound. You are no match sir." Pirelli bent to look at the silver blades tucked into a beautifully handcrafted handle and he seemed to smirk as Sweeney continued, "Either accept my challenge, or reveal yourself a sham."

"You hear this foolish man?" Pirelli smiled, "Now please you will see how he will-a regret-a his-a folly!" Pirelli flung his flashy cloak and screamed, "Toby!"

"Who's for a free shave?" Sweeney asked as all of the men who had not been scared off by the smell or Sweeney's proclamation eagerly raised their hands. He took off his coat, handing it to Mrs. Lovett while taking out the paper bag Linnet had given him, "Will Beadle Bamford be the judge?"

"Glad as always to oblige my friends and neighbors." He cracked an oily grin as he joined the four men and boy on stage. Sweeney reached into the rounded paper bag and his eyes widened slightly in surprise at seeing the new sterling silver handled soft brush in a shaving cream pot that matched his beloved razors. "The fastest, smoothest shave, is the winner!" He bellowed before blowing sharply on the whistle conveniently around his neck.

Pirelli extravagantly sang his praises while roughly sharpening his blade and lathering a man's face. Meanwhile, Sweeney lavishly stropped his blade and pampered the man he was charged with. On Pirelli's final note, suspended almost painfully in an octave no genuine male should be able to achieve, Sweeney quickly shaved the man's face. Linnet smiled as Beadle announced him the winner. She went to congratulate him but something caught her eye. She turned to see what and stopped dead in her tracks.

It was _him_.


	6. Benjamin

**EXPLANATION: **you all have been amazing with the reviews and I tried to get this chapter up sooner but things were really getting hectic around here, first I had finals, then I had graduation and a million grad parties I was obligated to go to [ just kidding peoples you know I love you ;) ], but then right after that my grandmother had to go to the hospital for a surgery and had a fifty percent chance of recovery because she also has heart disease and she's 80 something years old so anethesia might have killed her. LUCKILY she's fine now but then a hoard of family members flew in or drove down so then I had to take care of all that, finally things are dying down (ooh, bad choice of words), things are clearing up now, grandma's recovering nicely and family members are all going back home now. So now it's summer and so long as the reviews keep coming, I'll be updating on a more regular basis.

**Thank Yous Go Out To: **Midna Hytwilian, linalove, -Valor-, GladeSistas, bittersweetxsymphony, Browneyes101, and ..Hale. and of course a HUGE thanks to ThePurpleness who always helps me through my muddled thinking. :) luv ya babe!

* * *

_I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain._

_~ Frank Herbert_

_It was him._

The man who plagued her nightmares every time she closed her eyes during the course of her pregnancy, the man who did not care one lick for the pain he had caused her that night. Both emotional and physical. She could still feel the burning ache between her thighs as she looked upon his face that had not changed at all. In the back of her mind she registered a faint tug on her arm as Sweeney attempted to wake her from her reverie and pull her towards their homes but she could not move.

Frozen to the spot as she was, Linnet allowed one solitary tear to mark a trail down her cheek as her greatest fear had come true. The man whose face she held in regard to the devil, Satan, had not moved away or on. He remained in the town of her downfall, walking the streets, smiling, as if he deserved God's gift of life!

Linnet became enraged as she looked upon him and red swam before her eyes. The red of blood. She looked upon his face and the exposure of his chest at the V of his work shirt but did not see the pale peach of skin; only the blood that ran through his veins underneath. She saw him stop in his tracks as streaks of the oozing red liquid dribbled down his face and down his body. She saw him fall into a crumpled heap on the street and spasm as the last traces of life left him, as his soul escaped the confines of his body and let loose the agonized scream of those banished to a condemned eternity in Hell. She saw herself, standing over the beaten man, smiling like a madwoman and in that instant, she realized what she needed to do, was no different than the words Sweeney Todd had muttered to her in her shop days ago.

Revenge.

She would not be able to move on to the greater things in life, the second book of her life if you will, until she finished the first. She could not retain the joys of having survived her ordeal until she could resolve all the questions and loose ends aroused by the climax of the previous chapters. She had to destroy this man, as he had destroyed her.

"I see you've got your eye caught on Mr. Reuben there lass. He is quite the handsome fellow isn't he?" A passing woman asked her, placing her hand gently on Linnet's arm, clearly oblivious to the seething rage, boiling within her. This managed to wake Linnet from the reverie she was so stooped in.

"Mr. Reuben you say? Pray, what is his first name?" She asked in a tone so sickeningly sweet, the old woman smiled and patted her arm, thinking nothing but the best intentions, unaware of the malice beneath.

"Dear his name is Michael Reuben but do not let his good looks and charming smile fool you, he is most likely the finest courtier this side of London has ever seen."

"I assure you madam, a relationship is not what I had in mind with this man and I am not so fickle as to wish him for my bed." Linnet replied with her own charming smile to the woman, "I was merely curious as to his identity, you see he reminded me of an old acquaintance of mine."

"Well dear I must be off." The woman smiled and tottered away to her next venue. Linnet turned as her smiled dropped and began trudging home under the weight of her bags. She had not made it more than seven steps however before the weight was being lifted and Sweeney fell into step beside her.

"That was him wasn't it?" Sweeney asked her after a brief silence, keeping his eyes fixated on the path ahead. Linnet did not need to answer for him to know it was. "I noticed the look on your face. Lovett says I get the same face when I look at or think of Turpin."

"I need what you need Sweeney. I need atonement. I need his blood." Linnet replied monotonously.

"We'll both get what we need Netty, and they'll both get what they deserve. Why don't we drop these things off and grab a bite to eat eh? Give you a bit of a break and since Lovett's got some other business to take care of, give our stomach's a bit of a break too."

Linnet couldn't help but smile. This was Benjamin speaking, not Sweeney. He seemed to switch without notice. Especially around her. "That sounds wonderful Sweeney."

"And then perhaps you can explain the little gift you've delivered just in the nick of time." He smirked as he glanced sidelong at her.

Linnet swallowed thickly, her gift had seemed an okay idea at the time but now that Sweeney was acting as Benjamin, she was terribly afraid her confession would revert him back to Sweeney. They entered her shop together and Sweeney helped her put the things away.

"Well?" He asked, "You did say you'd explain."

Linnet sighed and decided it would be safer for her to play stranger, "You remind me of a very good friend of mine Sweeney."

He looked at her strangely, not quite sure what she was saying, "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Please let me explain before you say something, this is quite hard for me to admit out loud. You see, you remind me very much of my best friend. His name was Benjamin Barker."

"Was?" Sweeney asked, looking at her suspiciously.

"Yes, was. I've been told he is dead. The news devastated me to no end. Although he'll stay alive so long as at least I remember him, it hurts to think he is gone from others."

"What does this have to do with your gift?" Sweeney asked darkly, she could see the shadows returning in his eyes as she spoke.

"Benjamin's birthday is coming soon, and I thought that since you remind me of him from time to time, I could honor his memory through you. You have beautiful razors Mr. Todd, I thought you could use a beautiful crème pot and brush to match."

"You only wished to honor his memory?" Sweeney asked, cocking a brow in confusion.

"Well that, and I wish to...commemorate in a way, our new friendship." Before he could question her further, she reached forward and embraced him in a soft hug, "You truly have become a close friend in such short time Sweeney Todd. I know you and Benjamin will never be the same person, however I hope that our new friendship may grow to be as we once were."

Sweeney awkwardly embraced her in return wondering why her words did not affect him as much as if Lovett would have said such a thing. That's when he realized Lovett would have never said anything close to the sort. Her words would have been blunt and harsh and they would not have made him feel conflicted between his identities. When he had killed Benjamin to create Sweeney, he had forgotten that there was at least one other person who would be affected. But Sweeney did not see how Benjamin could remain living when his reason for life was destroyed. Or was it destroyed?

Sweeney's arms tightened ever so slightly around Linnet's frame and she in return, sank into his embrace as she waited for him to think through her words and his feelings.

Benjamin's sole reason for existence was his family. His family consisted of his parents, who were now deceased, his wife, who had killed herself, his daughter, who was being held captive by his wife's rapist, and, he mused, Linnet. His best friend had become as much a part of his family as Lucy. He of course had no choice but to become Sweeney in order to exact his revenge and bring back his daughter but what about after? Would it be possible for Benjamin to return? A part of his family was still with him. Maybe it was possible.

As Sweeney pulled back and looked into Linnet's smiling face, he stopped for a moment. He couldn't become Benjamin ever again. Benjamin Barker would forever belong to his wife, Lucy. Whether she was living or dead, Benjamin would forever be hers and hers alone. Perhaps by becoming and remaining Sweeney Todd, Linnet Reynolds could belong to him, and him alone. But not now, now was when their revenge must be planned. Only after, once things could settle and all was well, once Sweeney had Joanna and Linnet had Antony and all of their rivals were sent to hell, could he begin to think of what more could come of his new friendship.

With a fleeting smile that was all he could muster, he released Linnet from his arms and they both left the shop, Linnet being sure to lock the door, and sneaked into Madame Mooney's pie shop before Nellie could see them.

* * *

review please!

ps: I put up pictures of what I imagine to be Linnet but you can picture her any way you wish


	7. Protection

**A/N: **I'm fairly certain that this is one of the longest chapters I've written for this story yet. 3,000+ words. And I'll get to work on the next potc chapter tomorrow after I take my math placemet exam for college...ugh. Getting up at 8 in the morning during summer just to do math...ew.

anyway thank yous go out to: GladeSistas , -Valor- , Midna Hytwilian , linalove , bittersweetxsymphony , and of course ThePurpleness who always manages to helps me muddle through my ideas to fish out the best ones. Luv ya babe!

btw Midna: i finally got to the k.o. by teakettle scene you were waiting for haha ;)

underlined: Linnet singing  
**bold:** Sweeney singing

* * *

_The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now._

_~ Bill Cosby_

A few days later found Sweeney standing by the window in his shop, aggressively swiping his razor across a sharpening block as he watched the people below pass by. Linnet sat on an old, empty crate by the window, wrapping her arms around her upraised knees as she watched him; all the while thinking of anything she could say or do to calm him down. Nellie wasn't helping much as she draped herself on an old monstrosity of a chair she claimed belonged to her late husband.

"Sit in it all day long he did." She said, "After his leg gave out with the gout." It was the best they could do for a barber chair at present but Linnet would keep looking. A small and amused voice within her mind questioned whether gout was contagious, imagining the disease lingering behind on that chair, snickering when another behind came to rest on it, and presently that rear end belonged to Mrs. Lovett, before she shook her head at her own foolishness.

"Why doesn't the Beadle come? Before the week is out, that's what he said." Sweeney grumbled, still not paying any mind to Mrs. Lovett.

"Well who says the week's out? S'only Tuesday." Nellie remarked. Linnet smacked her palm against her forehead. Clearly the art of pacifying had completely washed over this woman. The good Lord, or what was left of Linnet's belief in him, had not graced this woman with a great deal of compassion nor sympathy. Mr. Todd's only retaliation to her comment was a disbelieving glare before throwing the sharpening block to the floor with a resounding _bang _as he moved to the other side of the room, farther away from Nellie though, Linnet noticed, he did not stray too far from her.

As Sweeney began to wander away, Nellie began chasing him around the room talking about bubbling plans, daisies and Gilly flowers. Linnet sighed. She always knew the woman was a nut.

"And the judge? When'll we get to him?" Sweeney replied as he walked out the side door to gaze out the balcony. Nellie pursued him still 'tsk'ing at his one track mind.

"Can't you think of nothing else? Always brooding away on your wrongs, what happened, whoever knows how many years ago."

"Fifteen Nellie." Linnet remarked, causing Sweeney to throw a pointed look at Nellie, who then glared at Linnet, who then smirked inwardly. It was no large secret that Mrs. Lovett had her sights set on Sweeney just as Miss Baker had her sights set on Benjamin. If Linnet had anything to say about it, Nellie Lovett would be no more prosperous than Nellie Baker.

"What do you think?" Nellie asked, bringing Linnet out of her thoughts.

"Hmm?" She looked up, "About what?"

"Honestly you're as bad as he is. Gilly flowers or daisies?" She replied.

"Nellie." Linnet sighed, "I think it's best you head downstairs and tend the shop, I'll take care of anything up here."

"Speaking of shops, when are you opening yours?" Nellie whipped back, appalled at the thought of being pushed out of her own building.

"She's not." Sweeney growled in such a tone that had Nellie backing towards the door, "The man who raped her lives and if he catches wind that she's back he'll come at her again. She's staying here during the days."

"And nights? I don't have room for her to sleep."

"I have a home Mrs. Lovett, I will still sleep in my own bed, Sweeney however, had been kind enough to offer his services as an escort."

"Oh well, yes that was very kind." She muttered before heading downstairs.

"Did you have to add that last part?" Sweeney asked.

"Yes, I felt the desperate need to let her know that you and I share a relationship similar to that of mine and Benjamin's and that she's up a dead end creek without a paddle." Linnet pouted slightly.

Sweeney chuckled lightly before returning to his dismal state, staring out the window. "This room no longer feels like home to me. It feels more like a rented space. Cold and empty. There's no familiarity within the walls anymore. No sense of warmth left." He spoke, knowing he could confide with her his woes freely. He turned his head to face her as he sat down on the decrepit old chair, looking very much the lost man she knew him to be. "I'm tired of feeling this coldness. I'm tired of feeling alone. I'm tired of feeling...just tired." He hung his head and Linnet moved almost involuntarily towards him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he leaned his head into her stomach, moving his arms around her waste as she soothingly stroked his hair. He seemed to become a child in her arms, one who was in desperate need of hope.

"In the arms of the angel, fly away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room,

and the answers that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage,

of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angel,

may you find, some comfort here." She sang as she soothed him and felt his arms tighten just slightly around her before he answered in turn.

"**So tired of the straight line**

**And everywhere you turn,**

**there's vultures and thieves at your back**

**The storm keeps on twisting,**

**keeps on building the lies,**

**that you make up for all that you lack.**"

"It don't make a difference,

escaping one last time

It's easier to believe

In this sweet madness,

oh, this glorious sadness,

that brings me to my knees,

In the arms of the angel, fly away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room,

and the answers that you fear

You are pulled from the wreckage,

of your silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angel,

may you find, some comfort here

You're in the arms of the angel,

may you find, some comfort here." She finished, keeping her hold around him as he allowed her words to sink in. So long as she could help it, she would not ever leave him. She would stay with him, through every moment of happiness, but more importantly, through sadness. There was a place for him in her arms and if he desired, he could leave the cold loneliness of this room and stay with her in her home. He knew she had two extra rooms in the house for her late father and her flighty brother. He decided he would take her up on that offer. And stay the night in a place more familiar to him. Just then, he heard footsteps echoing hurriedly up the stairs and moved to a strategic position behind the door, awaiting his unexpected guest as Linnet simply stood by the chair.

Neither expected Antony to barge in but both quickly came to their senses, questioning what would bring him in such a hurry.

"Mr. Todd, Mum, there's a girl who needs my help. Such a sad, lonely girl, but beautiful too! And-"

"Slow down son." Sweeney said as he guided the boy to the chair. Linnet smiled at her son as she realized he had been hit square in the heart by Cupid's arrow. She had noticed Sweeney's use of the word son but played it off as nothing just yet.

"Yes. I'm sorry." Antony replied as he took the offered seat, Mrs. Lovett entered in shortly after, having seen the boy race up the stairs, a questioning look on her face as she turned to Linnet. Linnet however, had eyes only for her smitten son as he continued, "This girl has a guardian that keeps her locked away but then this morning, she dropped this!" He pulled out a rather decorative looking key on a silk ribbon, "Surely a sign that Johanna wants me to help her." He said looking pleadingly at Sweeney who looked at the key and then directly into Antony's eyes.

"Johanna?" Linnet asked at the same time as Nellie.

"Yes that's her name." He looked at Linnet and couldn't help but smile, "Oh Mum, she's the most beautiful girl I've ever met and her voice! I heard her singing from the pavement below, her voice seems so forlorn and yet just as strikingly beautiful as her. The problem is a man named Turpin is her guardian, he's some sort of judge." At this he stood and embraced his mother warmly before looking at her face and continuing, "Not to fret however, once he goes to court, I plan to slip into the house, release her, and _beg_ her if need be, to come away with me. Tonight!"

"Oh this is very romantic." Nellie commented, making her presence known to all in the room.

Linnet, ignoring her, turned back to her son, "Away? But Antony dear-"

"Mum there's no other way, if I stay here, Turpin will get her back for sure, possibly send me to Australia to work the labor prisons on charges of thievery and kidnapping! The reason I came here is because I know no one else in London and I know my mother trusts you sir, and I need somewhere safe to hide her while I hire a coach to take her away."

"Bring her here sweetheart, we'll figure something out hmm?"

"Thanks Mum." He kissed her cheek warmly before turning to Sweeney, who could do nothing but nod as he swallowed the thick lump in his throat. "Thank you! Thank you my friend." Antony said to him, shaking his hand vigorously before running out the door.

"Seems like the fates are favoring you at last Mr. T." Nellie remarked as she watched him and Linnet move to the window, watching the boy run down the street excitedly. The former wearing a troubled expression, the latter wearing a small smile. When he only grunted in response, she questioned him, "You'll have her back before the day is out."

Sweeney reached for his detachable strop and hooked it onto the chair, his back facing Linnet who still gazed out the window, "What about him?"

"Him? Oh well, let him bring her here, and then, since your so hot for a little," She continued motioning to her neck and forgetting Linnet was still in the room, "that's the throat to slit, my dear."

"You will not!" Linnet gasped turning to Nellie, "How _dare_ you suggest such a thing!" She began closing in on Nellie as Sweeney watched, slightly amusedly at the feisty mother protecting her young one, "If you so much as _think_ about hurting **one hair** on his head, I swear to any damned deity in existence, I'll drag you down to the bakehouse **by your hair** and_beat_ you to within an inch of you _life_ with the **meat mallet**!!!"

"Alright Nets, calm down now. You know I'd never hurt your boy." Sweeney chuckled, deeming now the perfect time to intervene. He placed his hands on her hips and moved her away from her imposing position leaning over a cowering Nellie, who glared at Linnet after hearing Sweeney's pet name for her.

"Sweeney just let him bring her here, I'll talk to him then, maybe we can send him and Johanna to my brother in Wellingborough just long enough for us to get Turpin, then I'll tell him it's safe to come back and we can cook up some story of aneurysm or some such. Or we could move to Wellingborough ourselves and you can set up your business anew. A fresh start. Everything will work out in the end love, just you wait and see."

"Hang on." Nellie said, "What's he doing here?"

Linnet and Sweeney both moved to a side window and saw an incredibly purple clad man approaching. "Pirelli." Linnet commented.

"And the poor lad." Nellie cooed.

"Oh so _now _you've got some bloody compassion." Linnet hissed and Nellie glared once more.

"Nellie keep the boy downstairs, and send up the stupid blighter. Linnet you can stay under the pretense of my assistant." Sweeney picked up a brush and began sweeping the dust off the chair as Linnet picked up an old rag and began dusting in general, both succeeding in looking busy enough so that when Pirelli knocked on the door, nothing was out of the ordinary. Linnet glanced up to see the slightest of movements from Sweeney indicating her to open the door. She placed the rag atop an old trunk and opened the door with a somewhat conniving smile placed firmly on her face. The idiot Italian sensed nothing however and glanced appreciatively down her frame earning a shiver of disgust from her.

"Signora," He tipped his hat to her with a sly smirk on his lips.

"Actually, not Singor."

"Ah," His smirk seemed to change from sly to a sickeningly oily grin, "_Signorina_. I wonder if you could give me a moment alone with your master?"

At this, Linnet seemed to bristle and Sweeney interrupted before she could lose her temper once more, "She is no servant Signor Pirelli, she is my assistant. I would thank you kindly not to imply that I nor anyone else would treat her with anything less than respect."

"Scusé, I did not mean to offend the fair lady but the request stays the same. If I could have just a moment Mister Todd." He asked and watched as Sweeney nodded to Linnet who nodded in reply and passed Pirelli on the way to the door making sure to shove shoulders in retaliation. She walked two or three steps to hide under the window they had seen Pirelli's approach from and crouched down to listen, making sure to fain walking down the rest of the steps first.

As she heard their conversation progress, she felt a growing anger that anyone would dare attempt to hurt Sweeney after everything he'd already been through. True enough, no one _knew _what he had been through but the principle remained the same. Blackmail was just wrong. She heard Pirelli ask for a fifty percent share in all of Sweeney's profits and, to her utter disgust and fear, the man also wanted equal opportunity to her bed! As soon as the idea passed through the lips of that vile man, Linnet heard a loud whistling and a resounding _bang_ and a few more _thump_s. She rushed into the shop to find Pirelli lying unconscious on the floor, his head in a small pool of blood. The black teakettle lay on the floor and Sweeney stood above the man gasping in shock at what he had done.

He sat on the chair for a moment before glancing at Linnet. She caught a fleeting glimpse of Benjamin in his gaze before they hardened once more into Sweeney as he stood. He motioned to the trunk and together they moved the unresponsive cad. As Sweeney closed the trunk, Linnet picked up the discarded rag and mopped up the small puddle of blood. As she heard footsteps hurriedly making their way up the steps, she folded the rag over, covering the blood and used it to pick up the kettle, pouring the tea into a cup being held by Sweeney.

"Signor! You've got an appointment!" Toby said urgently as he burst through the door.

"Signor Pirelli's been called away. Better run after him." Sweeney replied, sipping at his tea and looking directly at Linnet. She slowly realized the intimacy of their current position, her between him and the boiler by the wall, and blushed slightly. She could have sworn she saw the beginnings of a smirk forming on his lips before Toby spoke.

"No sir." He said, "I should stay here, or it'll be a lashing. He's a great one for the lashings." Toby sat on the trunk, ignorant of what lay, all be it curled, beneath him. Sweeney however noticed that he had not been the most successful in getting all of that damned con man in the trunk and began to panic.

"So Mrs. Lovett gave you a pie did she?"

"She's a real lady!" Toby replied enthusiastically.

"That she is, but if I know a growing boy, there's still room for more pie eh?" Toby stood as Sweeney drew nearer, handing his cup to Linnet so that he could rest a hand on Toby's back, guiding him towards the door. "Then why don't you wait for your master downstairs?" Sweeney attempted to lighten his voice, seeming harmless enough to the boy, "Be another pie in it for you I'm sure."

"No." Toby replied, his voice wavering slightly under the pressure, he couldn't aggravate his master or risk being beaten, but he so much wanted to go back downstairs to be with the woman who treated him far better than Pirelli ever did, "I should stay here."

Linnet saw the twitch in Sweeney's face and knew he was close to a breaking point. She placed the cup down on the nearest flat surface and moved in between Sweeney and the boy, lightly butting him aside with her hip as she placed a warm hand on the boy's shoulder and smiled invitingly, "Tell you what lad, why don't you tell Mrs. Lovett that I said to give you a nice big tot of gin." That did the trick.

"Thank you ma'am!" He exclaimed before running out the door. Linnet sighed in relief and turned to see Sweeney move to the trunk, she noticed the hand twitching and knew Sweeney was about to finish the job he started. She turned her back once she saw him pull out his razor and clutched her throat as she heard the gagging noises made by Pirelli as he choked on his own blood for a mere twelve seconds before passing on to the after life. Whatever waited for the man there, Linnet hoped he would suffer.

She felt Sweeney put his hands on her shoulders in comfort and her hands seemed to move of their own accord to grasp his. She turned to face him and buried her face in his chest and it was that moment that Sweeney realized that it was not what he had done that had upset her, it was that she had overheard their conversation and knew what that man had wanted with _her._

"I promise you Linnet. No man will ever hurt you the way he did. I will not allow another man to come near you with such thoughts. You're safe...with me." He added hesitantly.

"Thank you Sweeney." Was all she could say as he held her.

* * *

**p.s.** the song is "In the Arms of the Angel" by Sarah McLachlan, if you've never heard this song I suggest you find it on youtube because it's a beautiful song and she's a wonderful singer.

**p.p.s.** review please!


	8. Of Rage

**Author's Note: **I wish I could say this isn't going to happen again but truth is, it probably will. I have however (hopefully) made up for the long wait by making this chapter extra long. Ten pages in word and 4000+ words ^.^

**For those that like an explanation:** I've just started my first year of college (survived my first week), one of my best friends is moving to Minnesota for her college of choice this Thursday, and a lot of things have been really hectic trying to figure out books, equiptment, financial aid and all that jazz. Again, I'm really sorry *sheepish grin*

**Thank Yous!!! go to: **-my-forgotten-rose- , Midna Hytwilian , BeBopALula , linalove , bittersweetxsymphony , SomeOtherPerson , and DnCnChIcK369

**Uber thanks to: **ThePurpleness who reminded me it's been a while and I better get my butt crackin on another chapter ;) luv yaz!

**bold - sweeney  
**_italics - judge turpin  
italics underlined - nellie lovett  
_underlined - linnet

_

* * *

_

_People who fly into a rage always make a bad landing._

_~ Will Rogers_

For a brief moment, they stood as they were; embraced within each other, and admiring the warmth and familiarity that the other unknowingly offered. Linnet closed her eyes and breathed deeply out of instinct, being wrapped in this strong man's arms but found herself swallowing thickly as the raw odor of fresh blood met her nostrils. Sweeney, noticing her stiffen slightly, suddenly realized the arm that had been splattered with Pirelli's blood was slightly too close to her face for comfort, and from some small resurfacing memory, remembered that Linnet had always been slightly squeamish when it came to matters of gore.

He chuckled slightly as understanding swept through him before slowly lowering his arms and taking a step back, just in time for Mrs. Lovett to burst through the door saying, "That lad is drinking me out of house and home."

"Why do you care? You stole it from me." Linnet muttered under her breath causing Sweeney, still within hearing range, to cough slightly into his hand in attempts to cover his smile.

"What was that?" Mrs. Lovett asked innocently.

"Nothing Nellie." Linnet replied smirking.

"Well how long till Pirelli gets back?" She asked looking about as if he were hiding somewhere in the wide open room.

"He won't be back." Sweeney replied finally coming into full view of Mrs. Lovett and thus showing his bloodied sleeve as he cleaned his blade.

"Mr. T you didn't." She gasped, when her only reply was a look towards the chest by the wall, she cautiously made her way over gasping in horror as she opened the lid and observed the gruesome sight within. Immediately she slammed the lid back down and inhaled deeply through the mouth, "You're barking mad! Killing a man what done you no harm." She exclaimed.

"He recognized me from the old days, tried to blackmail me. Half me earnings." Sweeney's voice replied in a hollow tone as he looked at the blade that had just murdered a man in cold blood; as he checked for remaining blood spots, he gazed at his own reflection. His mind slipped away to a far away place where Benjamin Barker cowered in a corner at the act Sweeney had just committed. It was so unlike Benjamin that Sweeney seemed to smirk. Surely this was proof that Benjamin was, if not dead, mortally wounded and unable to return.

"Oh." Mrs. Lovett clipped, grasping the concept more easily now that a proper explanation was available, "Well, it's a different matter then. For a moment there, I though you lost your marbles." She sighed with relief as she opened the lid to the trunk once more.

Linnet shuddered at the ease of which the darker two individuals had accepted this gruesome event. Perhaps she were wrong about Sweeney, perhaps this was a brand new start to his life and her old friend really was gone for good.

She shook her head at the thought, she wouldn't, _couldn't_, believe that. For if there were no one left to believe in Benjamin Barker, he would truly be lost forever.

"All that blood." Lovett continued, "Poor bugger. Oh well." She shrugged before reaching into the temporary tomb and pulling out Pirelli's purse, checking the contents, "Well, waste not want not." She pocketed the purse within her corset and turned back to Sweeney with a look of contempt on her face, "So, what are we gonna do about the boy then?" She asked.

Linnet's lips twitched into the smallest resemblance of a smile as she looked at Nellie Lovett, though her face seemed to be devoid of emotion on the subject, Linnet could tell that she had already developed a bit of a liking to the boy. No matter how brazen he may be.

"Send him up." Sweeney all but whispered, still making it look as if he were checking his blade for blood.

Linnet gaped at him, killing Pirelli was one thing, the man deserved it after all, but an innocent child? Surely he couldn't be that cruel, even if he believed Benjamin to be gone! Linnet's eyes widened a split moment later at her revelation. That was it!

He wasn't just killing the boy for nothing, he was trying to rid himself of what he knew was still there. By murdering an innocent, something Benjamin wouldn't even be able to process in his most horrid nightmares, he was attempting to rid himself, no; he was attempting to rid _her_ of the memory of Benjamin Barker.

"Oh we don't need to worry about him, he's a simple thing." Lovett replied quickly, the first traces of fear showing on her face.

"Send him up!" Sweeney demanded once more.

"Sweeney." Linnet interrupted before she could find out if Nellie was strong enough to stand up to the man she was so infatuate for. He complied with her hands as they forced his shoulders to turn towards her, "Sweeney please, leave the boy be. He won't be any harm, surely one life's enough for today." Sweeney looked at her and seemed to contemplate her words.

"And I was thinking of hiring the poor lad to work for me shop." Lovett interjected, "My poor knees aren't what they used to be you know." She pouted her lips and looked at him pathetically.

"All right." Sweeney mumbled before walking to the window. Linnet sighed in relief and Nellie smirked at her handiwork.

"Course we'll have to stock up on the gin. Boy drinks like a sailor." Lovett mused before she and Linnet noted that Sweeney's face seemed to contort in shock.

"The judge." He gasped. Lovett's face turned from a wistful daze to a surprised gape as Linnet rushed to stand beside him at the window and gazed at the man who ruined his life. "Get out." Sweeney whispered. Linnet turned to see him looking at Nellie and so remained where she were. "Get out!" He said more forcefully, snapping Mrs. Lovett out of her daze and leaving her to scurry out the door with a fleeting glare at Linnet who still stood by the window.

"Sweeney your arm." She said hurriedly as she rushed to get his overcoat.

He looked at his blood stained sleeve and shoved his ams into the coat that Linnet held open before he turned and rushed her to the inside door leading downstairs. "Do not let yourself be seen by either of them." He hurriedly muttered. She nodded and closed the door behind her just as Judge Turpin entered.

"Mr. Todd?" Turpin's voice purred with arrogance.

"At your service." Sweeney smiled with mock delight. The judge was none the wiser, "An honor to receive your patronage, me lord."

"You know me?" His voice was deeply confused.

"Who in this wide world does not know the great Judge Turpin?" Sweeney countered.

"Who was that?" Turpin nodded towards the door he had seen close.

"My assistant, fairly new to the place. Had a need for the privy so I showed the way." He replied, careful not to reveal that his 'assistant' was female.

"Hmm, these premises are hardly prepossessing and yet the Beadle tells me your the most _accomplished_ of all the barbers in the city." Turpin walked the perimeter of the shop, observing and taking in all that it lacked with skepticism.

Sweeney smirked before turning to face the judge with the same innocent smile carefully placed on his face, "That is gracious of him. What may I do for you today, sir?" Sweeney moved closer, moving his hands up to the man's neck whose back was so foolishly turned to him. For a moment he envisioned strangling the man and enjoying watching the light slip from the eyes of the man as he struggled beneath him. He quickly removed those thoughts, however as he realized it would be much more painful to Turpin, and much more enjoyable to him, if he were to wait. And take his revenge with his friend in hand. He removed Turpin's coat instead.

"A stylish trimming of the hair?" He continued with ease, as if the man's death was not on his mind at this very moment, "Soothing skin massage?" He motioned to the chair, "Sit, sir, sit."

Turpin seemed to move towards the chair before turning back to Sweeney and explaining the situation, seemingly ignoring Sweeney's vehement glare, "_You see sir a man infatuate with love,_

_her ardent and eager slave_

_So fetch the pomade and pumice stone,_

_and lend me a more seductive tone,_

_a sprinkling perhaps of French cologne,_

_but first sir I think,_

_a shave."_

"**The closest I ever gave.**" Sweeney muttered, glaring at the clueless man before whistling along with the tune of his song.

"You're in a merry mood today Mr. Todd."

"**Tis your delight sir catching fire!**

**From one man to the next!**"

"_Tis true, sir love can still inspire_

_The blood to pound,_

_the heart leap higher_

_What more-can man require  
_**What more can man require**

_Than love sir?_

_**More than love sir.**_

What sir?

**Women.**

_Ah yes women."_

**Pretty women.**"

The two men continued whistling and humming with the merry and joyful melody. Judge Turpin, completely ignorant of the going ons in the mind of the barber. Sweeney, caressing his blade, his friend.

"Pretty little rosebud." Turpin commented on his intended.

"Pretty as her mother?" Sweeney spat.

"What was that?"

"Nothing sir, nothing." Sweeney continued easily, "May we proceed?" His mind slipped into thoughts of Lucy, his beloved-no. _Benjamin's_ beloved wife. "**Pretty women.**" He sang. The judge joined his song and together, they dreamed of the women in their lives, the ones who remained, the ones who had left. "**Proof of heaven as their living.**" Sweeney though of Linnet. The only prayer he had ever had answered. His dear friend, perhaps something more than, was alive and, for the most part, well. She remained with him. Just as she promised she always would. He would help her seek her long awaited revenge, once he took this last swipe across this vile man's flesh. One more, and it was all over.

He inched closer, "**Pretty women! Sir! Pretty women! Yes! Pretty women!**"

"Mr. Todd! I've seen Johanna and she said she'd leave with me-tonight." Antony burst into the room and stalled when he saw who indeed was sitting in the barber's chair. _Blasted boy!_ Thought Sweeney as he saw the look of rage cross Turpin's face.

"You." Turpin spat. Though Sweeney's mind was awash with rage at being disrupted, he did manage to recognize a faint glimmer of worry cross his mind, what had the boy gotten himself into and what would his mother do? "There is indeed a higher power to warn me thus in time." Turpin continued, "Johanna? Elope with you? I'll make sure that you nor any other man shall ever set eyes on her again." Sweeney's mind recoiled in shock. His daughter. His little girl, his angel, lost to him forever?

"As for you barber, it's all too clear the kind of company you keep, service them well and hold hold their custom for you'll have none of mine." As he gathered his belongings, he stormed out the door slamming it shut and bringing the point down hard. Sweeney realized it would be harder than he thought to end the judge. How would he exact his revenge and get his daughter back?

"Mr. Todd you have to help me." The boy was not helping his thoughts at all for it took all he had within him not to strangle the lad in frustration.

"Out." He whispered. Somehow, he didn't think Linnet would appreciate her son being asphyxiated.

"Mr. Todd, please." Antony continued.

"Out." He tried again. _Damn boy do you not realize what you've done?_

"Mr. Todd!"

"OUT!" He screamed, if the sailor wasn't removed from his sight this instant he would do something he knew he wouldn't live to regret. Linnet may have been smaller than him and frail in comparison, but should her son be threatened by anything, well; Lord have mercy.

Antony finally had the sense of mind to listen and scurried out the door. Mrs. Lovett and Linnet both rushed up the stairs as they heard the yelling and passed a furious judge, who luckily was much too lost to his own enraged thoughts to pay attention to those he passed, and a frightened Antony along the way.

"Antony darling what's happened?" Linnet asked once she was sure the judge was too far to listen.

"Mr. Todd is furious, I barged in on him with Judge Turpin. Turpin mentioned stealing Johanna away and left and Todd let loose! Mum what's going on? Why is Mr. Todd hell bent on Turpin and Johanna?"

"Oh sweetheart I curse the day you gained my sense of perception." She muttered as she patted his cheek and head to assure herself he was fine and Sweeney had not raised his hand against her son. "All will be revealed in time is all I can tell you love." She told him as she pulled him into a quick hug, "Now run along and find out where Turpin's hiding Johanna. I have a feeling Sweeney's going to need some placating."

She gave Antony a small push and then rushed up the stairs in time to hear and see that Sweeney indeed had lost himself in a furious frenzy of raw emotion.

"**No, we all deserve to die!**

**Even you, Mrs. Lovett even I!**" Linnet saw him push Nellie against the wall and held her by her throat.

"**Because the lives of the wicked should be**

**made brief**

**for the rest of us death will be a relief**

**We all deserve to die!**" He had thrown her into the chair and pushed the razor as close to her neck as possible before moving his gaze up to the horror stricken face of Linnet, "**And I'll never, see Johanna**

**No I'll never**

**hug my girl to me.**

**Finished!**"

Linnet's face dropped in sympathy as she saw he had truly lost himself. She knew that approaching him now was futile. She would have to wait until he had exhausted himself and, if she were being completely honest with herself, she was feeling slightly warmer at watching him. Hearing his rough voice singing in such fury.

She couldn't bring herself to fear him, however.

Though she knew that at this moment, anything was possible and he could have killed either her or Nellie without a second thought, she had faith that he would snap himself out of it if he got that far.

"**And my Lucy, lies in ashes!**

**And I'll never, see my girl again**

**But the work waits!**

**I'm alive at last**

**and I'm full of joy!**"

Linnet's heart seemed to stutter in it's beating as she heard the anguish in his voice when referring to her late friend. Though she was slightly confused at his use of the word 'my'. _Was Sweeney learning to accept that Benjamin is still a part of him?_ She thought.

"That's all very well but what are we gonna do about him?" Mrs. Lovett asked motioning to the trunk with the flick of her head.

Sweeney said nothing but lowered his hands. Linnet came closer to him and peered into his vacant eyes.

"Hello?" Lovett asked, moving slightly closer as well, "Do you hear me?" When she received no reply she scoffed in her frustration and left the shop, leaving it to Linnet to return him to what she thought as normal.

"Sweeney?" She held her steady, compassionate gaze against his worn out and slightly confused one, "Benjamin?" She asked tentatively.

"Nets?" He asked, his voice scratched as he had spent the better half of an hour yelling and his lips were pouting like a small child. It was the first real sign she had received that Benjamin was still alive, and not just a memory, he was speaking to her at this moment. She reached forward slowly, so as not to startle him and pulled him into a fierce hug.

"I knew you weren't gone." She whispered.

"Who's gone?"

"What?" She asked as she pulled back and realized his brief moment of vulnerability was gone. Sweeney was back. "Oh nothing dear. Let's get downstairs shall we?"

"Yes." He murmured in a daze, "Let's." Though he remained kneeling where he were.

"Come on then." Linnet huffed as she placed her arms under his and helped him up. He leaned on her heavily before she sat him down at the table downstairs.

When Mrs. Lovett noticed them coming down the stairs, she brought out the gin and a glass. "There. Drink it down." She muttered to him.

The promise of alcohol seemed to shake him out of his stupor as he picked up the glass and took a gulp.

"Now. We've got a body moldering away upstairs. Now, what do you intend we should do about that then?"

"Later on when it's dark. We'll take it out to some secret place and bury it." He said contemplatively.

"Oh yeah, course we could do that. Don't suppose he's got any relatives that's gonna come poking around looking for him."

"Obviously or he wouldn't be reduced to a pathetic street monger trying to pass off piss as something miraculous." Linnet chuckled. Sweeney let out one nasal breath as he smirked.

Nellie was looking out the window and watching the people mull about. From the corner of her eye, a stray cat ran by and an idea struck, "_Seems a downright shame._" She sang.

"Shame?" Linnet asked at the same time as Sweeney.

"_Seems an awful waste._

_Such a nice plump frame,_

_what's his name has_

_Had? Has?_

_Nor it can't be traced_

_Business needs a lift_

_Debts to be erased_

_Think of it as thrift_

_as a gift_

_If you get my drift_

_Seems an awful waste_

_I mean_

_With the price of meat, what it is_

_When you get it,_

_if you get it_"

"Ah." Sweeney smirked as he caught on and Linnet gaped at both of them.

"If you're implying what think you're implying then-"

"_Good you got it_

_Take for instance Mrs. Mooney and her pie shop!_

_Business never better using only pussy cats and toast_

_Now a pussy's good for maybe six or seven at the most_

_and I'm sure they can't compare as far as taste!_"

"**Mrs. Lovett, what a charming notion**

**eminently practical and yet appropriate as always**

**Mrs. Lovett, how I've lived without you all these years I'll never know!**"

At this point, Sweeney smiled and picked her up into a waltz around the room. Linnet sat at the table, gaping. _The world's gone mad._ She thought.

"_Think about it,  
_**How delectable**

_Lot's of other gentlemen'll soon be coming for a shave  
_**Also undetectable!**

_Won't they?_

_Think of  
_**How choice**

_all them  
_**How rare**

_pies!_"

"**For what's the sound of the world out there.**"

"_What Mr. Todd, what Mr. Todd, what is that sound?_"

"**Those crunching noises pervading the air!**"

"_Yes Mr. Todd, Yes Mr. Todd, yes all around!_"

"**It's man devouring man, my dear; and**

_**who are we to deny it in here!**_"

"Have you two lost your bloody minds?" Linnet screeched, "Surely you're only joking! This can't be real!"

"These are desperate time, Netty; desperate measures are called for." Sweeney replied.

"Here we are," Mrs. Lovett continued as if Linnet had said nothing, finally she was getting her moment of praise, "hot out of the oven."

"What is that?" Sweeney asked curiously.

"_It's priest, have a little priest._"

"**Is it really good?**"

"_Sir it's too good, at least._

_Then again they don't commit sins of the flesh,_

_so it's pretty fresh._"

"**Awful lot of fat**."

"_Only where it sat_."

"**Haven't you got poet, or something like that?**"

"_No you see the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased?_

_Try the priest._"

"Oh and I suppose the two of you think you're so smart don't you? Ha ha, jokes on them, now can we please change the subject?"

"Lawyer's rather nice." Lovett continued.

"**If it's for a price.**"

"_Order something else though to follow_

_since no one should swallow it twice._"

"**Anything that's lean?**"

"_Well then if your British and loyal_

_you might enjoy royal marine_

_Anyway it's clean_

_though of course it tastes of wherever it's been!_"

"**Is that squire, on the fire.**"

"_Mercy, no sir look closer_

_You'll notice, it's grocer!_"

"**Looks thicker, more like vicar!**"

"_No, it has to be grocer, it's green!_"

"Honestly! It's one thing for Sweeney to need his revenge, another I suppose to kill Pirelli at least those can be justified! Well to some extent I suppose; but the mass killings of innocent lives! These people have family's and loved ones! You can't take that from them! Not everyone deserves death Sweeney!" She screamed.

Sweeney turned to her at this and picked her up into the same waltz he had had Mrs. Lovett in earlier, "**The history of the world, my love.**"

"_Save a lot of graves do a lot of relatives favors._" Mrs. Lovett interjected.

"**Is those below serving those up above.**"

"_Everybody shaves, so there should be plenty of flavors._" Lovett said more to herself this time.

"**How gratifying, for once to know; **

_**that those above will serve those down below!**_" They finished together and Sweeney, sensing Linnet still too tense to see his reasoning, began rubbing his hand soothingly up and down her back, manipulating her into his reality. He took her to the window and gave her a nudge, "What is that?"

Linnet hesitated a moment too long as Nellie found it to speak up, "_It's fop,_

_finest in the shop_

_Or we have some shepherd's pie peppered with actual shepherd on top_

_and I've just begun_

_Here's the politician so oily,_

_it's served with a doily, have one._"

"**Put it on a bun.**" Sweeney smirked at Linnet as she understood his pun,

"For you never know if it's going to run!" She sang.

"_Try the friar! Fried it's drier!_"

"**No! The clergy is really too course and too mealy!**"

"_Then actor, that's compactor!_"

"Yes, but always arrives over done." Linnet added as Sweeney picked up a meat cleaver.

"We'll come again when you have judge on the menu." Sweeney told Lovett as he swept Linnet into a waltz one more holding the meat cleaver as his weapon of execution.

"**Have charity towards the world, my pet.**"

"Yes, yes I know, my love." Linnet answered him as they moved towards the window, looking out.

"**We'll take the customers that we can get!**"

"High born and low, my love."

"**We'll not discriminate great from small.**

**No we'll serve anyone,**

**meaning anyone**

**and to anyone! At all!**"

On the final few notes, they had swept once more into a never ending waltz. Sweeney smiled as he gazed at her and moved to twirl her, forgetting the cleaver still in his hand. As Linnet began to spin out she stopped abruptly and gasped at the slightest knick of the blade against the base of her neck. Blood began beading before trickling down and Sweeney stood, seemingly hypnotized by the precious rubies making their way down the front of her body, into her dress, and teasingly hidden from sight.

It was only when Linnet's trembling hand moved up to inspect the damage, thereby obstructing his view, did he shake himself from his stupor and realize what he had, unintentionally, done.

"Upstairs." He muttered, dropping the cleaver and taking her by her waste, moving her out the door. Neither of them noticed Mrs. Lovett standing behind the counter, glowering at the woman who dared interfere with her quest for Sweeney Todd.

She had once lost the man she adored to Lucy, she had no intention of losing to Linnet.

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**review please!**


	9. Balance

**For those that would like an explanation: **I really didn't realize how long it's been since I've updated my Sweeney fic, I meant to update over winter vacation but I had found myself in a mini state of depression. Long story short my first semester of college didn't go as well as I planned and being compared to my elder sister didn't help. Working on a story that's already got a dark and depressed feeling about it didn't seem like the smartest idea. Anyway I managed to work through it with the help of some good friends (even though they didn't know it) so thanks ThePurpleness for one ^.~ the other one isn't on fanfic but I've already thanked her. I'm all better now and ready to face second semester with a brand new attitude.

**Other Thank-Yous go out to: **-my-forgotten-rose- , ViolentDelight17 (it wouldn't show your name with the periods in there) , linalove , DnCnChIcK369 , Midna Hytwilian , JDLuvaSQEE (love your name btw ^.^) , xBelekinax , ChemicalReaction9 , and for the reviews.

And thank you to those who put this story on alert and their favorites list but please leave a review as well, I'd like to know why you felt this story was worth keeping up with :)

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_Never think there is an easy way to make an end to such bitter memories…Never think there is a way to forgive the hate in the human heart…or an easy way to believe that the worst has occurred and is past. Only know that hope lives when people remember._

_~ Simon Wiesenthal_

Sweeney carefully led Linnet upstairs and pushed her into his chair to examine the damage he had so foolishly inflicted. All the while berating himself, he failed to notice Linnet's face contort in worry on **his** behalf.

"Sweeney it's nothing. It's barely a nick." She said soothingly as she watched him pace incessantly in search of a clean rag. She sighed and stood to retrieve the water basin, only to be pushed back down by Sweeney who then followed through with that process. He brought the basin to rest by her feet and stood to retrieve a clean shirt from his wardrobe upon realizing he still had nothing to clean nor wrap the wound with. Carefully tearing one of the sleeves into strips, he kneeled in front of her and began meticulously cleaning the blood from her neck and collarbone.

His eyes remained trained on her neck and he said nothing, his mind lost in some faraway place even Linnet could not see. She looked at him worriedly, true fear creeping its way into her heart for the first time with him around. Fear for his sanity, or what was left of it. She had loved Benjamin more than anything or anyone in her life, even her own brother as she still found it hard to forgive him for not taking her with him. As she looked at Sweeney she realized that the love she felt for him, though outweighed now by Antony, was incomparable to the love she held for Benjamin. She felt the need to save him. Perhaps that is what made her love him more.

He was a lost soul that needed guidance, that desperately needed someone to lean on, someone to love him. And Linnet was a person that needed someone to need her. She had always needed to know she was special, because she could never truly find self assurance. She had always needed someone **else **to tell her they would be lost without her, someone **else** to tell her she held a deeper meaning to them, a strong connection. She had always needed someone else to give her worth. And Sweeney was doing exactly that. She knew he needed her and thus she needed him. With this knowledge in mind, her fear was birthed: what if she couldn't save him?

Sweeney continued dabbing at the cut which was still trickling. Though it was not deep by any means, it was too close to her pulse point for his comfort. He couldn't believe his own stupidity. He had inflicted this upon his angel. The one who offered him his shelter from the cold and cruel, dark world. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He could have killed her! Had he not stopped when he did he would have sliced through her delicate skin with a meat cleaver. That thought kept him on his guard. He had to be careful. If he lost himself in this mad frenzy of hatred and revenge, he could hurt Linnet, Netty, **his** Nets. But who was he? What 'self' was he trying to keep? How was he to get rid of Benjamin and keep Netty both? Could he? Perhaps he was already lost.

He gently tied a strip of fabric across her neck, being careful not to pull too tight, and stood moving to the far window. He still had not spoken a word and Linnet grew more nervous. She stood carefully and lit a few candles around the room to dispel the darkness as well as the cold. As the hiss and crackle of the lighting match reached her ears, so did a soft, dejected sigh accompanied with the words "I'm lost." So low, she'd almost missed it. But she knew he had said it.

She held back the tears those two words brought to her eyes and finished lighting the remaining candles. Upon lighting the final wick, she pulled the candle from its holder and held it carefully in front of her. Cupping a hand behind the flame as she walked towards the window, she sang to him softly.

"I'll be your candle on the water,

My love for you will always burn.

I know you're lost and drifting,

But the clouds are lifting.

Don't give up, you have somewhere to turn."

Sweeney raised his head from the cold glass and looked at her before registering the candle she held in front of her, illuminating his corner and chasing away the chill. Or perhaps that was her, and the words she sang to him with conviction.

"I'll be your candle on the water,

'Till ev'ry wave is warm and bright.

My soul is there beside you,

Let this candle guide you.

Soon you'll see a golden stream of light."

He glanced down at the candle between them, and a ghost of a smile skittered across his face, his eyes softened as he watched the dancing flame flicker. He didn't know how she always did it, but she had done it once again. He began to _feel_.

"A cold and friendless tide has found you,

Don't let the stormy darkness pull you down.

I'll paint a ray of hope around you,

Circling in the air,

Lighted by a prayer."

Linnet took his right hand and pressed the candle into his open palm. As he held the candle and watched the flame, he felt her arms slip around his torso and mindlessly wrapped his left arm around her.

"I'll be your candle on the water,

This flame inside of me will grow.

Keep holding on, you'll make it,

Here's my hand so take it.

Look for me, reaching out to show,

As sure as rivers flow,

I'll never let you go.

I'll never let you go.

I'll never let you go."

"Why do you do this Nets? Why do you keep trying to bring him back?" Sweeney asked desperately.

"For the same reason you pursue your revenge on Judge Turpin. For the same reason you feel you must avenge Lucy." She answered, squeezing him tightly.

Sweeney paused, his gaze moved from the flickering flame to the portraits propped open by the mirror. A memory long forgotten began creeping its way into his mind, Lucy sitting in a rocking chair dreaming of the day she would cradle her baby, Linnet sitting cross-legged on the bed looking down at the open book in her lap, and Benjamin standing by the dresser, leaning against it listening to her read from the trio's favorite book of poetry.

"And neither the angels in Heaven above, nor the demons down under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabel Lee. For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams of the beautiful Annabel Lee; and the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes of the beautiful Annabel Lee." Said Sweeney as he began to understand.

"He will always be there Sweeney. You need to embrace him. He is a part of you and I love you both."

"What if Judge Turpin should come around again? What then?"

Linnet moved out of his embrace just enough to look him in the eyes, "I did not say you had to become Benjamin. I know you're not him. I know it's not possible to **make** you him."

"Prove it." He growled, "Prove you do not believe I'm Benjamin."

She narrowed her eyes at him and took the candle from his hand. Blowing out the flame, she proceeded to pull Sweeney back to the barber chair. She forcefully pushed him down onto the chair and moved to blow the rest of the candles out. Should this fail miserably, she did not need him to see her face. Slowly, she made her way back to the chair and wrapped her arms around his neck as she sat at his hip and pushed her lips against his.

Sweeney froze, unable to process what was happening; his arms remained clutching the arms of the chair while his lips were assaulted by hers in a fiercely suppressed kiss. Slowly, he began to kiss her back and in her shock she pulled back.

"I would have never thought to kiss Benjamin." She told him, "He belonged to Lucy as Lucy belonged to him and I would do nothing to tear that apart."

That night, Linnet and Sweeney soundly slept wrapped in each others' arms. They kept each other warm and unconsciously fought away the others' nightmares. Meanwhile Nellie Lovett lay in her own bed, glaring at the ceiling unable to sleep knowing that Sweeney had not come back after walking Miss Reynolds home. Something would have to be done.

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**A/N:** Yes they slept, they did not "sleep" together. Just thought I'd clear that up ^.^ It may come in the future though, still undecided. The song Linnet sings is Candle on the Water from Disney's Pete's Dragon but personally I like how Anneliese Van Der Pol (or however you spell her name) sings it and the poem excerpt is from Edgar Allen Poe's Annabel Lee (bet you didn't figure THAT out hehe)

Press the sexy green rectangle! You know you want to!


	10. Vitality

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: **So I had planned to get this out on Friday at the latest but a lot of things came up including my now having a boyfriend (squee!) and my having to go through twelve hours of training for my upcoming summer internship. I have finals next week so I might have time to update once more before I leave but I leave on May 8th and I have no idea if I'll be able to update over the summer as I'll be working 75+ hour weeks with only Sunday off so depending on what we do on those days I may still be able to update. If not I'm sure I'll be able to find five minutes to post an author's note to let you know, or I'll just put it up on my profile.

**Thank Yous: **xBelekinax , fivesevenshuffle , A-Creature-of-Darkness , Haruna Uchiha , ULTIMATE-OTAKU-47-11 , justsukiya , and Alfirin-Lover for the reviews that made me smile :)

**Thank you and huggles: **ThePurpleness (for all the help when I was freaking out lol)

**Huge Thank You and Huggles: **HadleyConlon who not only went and reviewed every chapter of this story but did the same for Burden of Desires, sorry I couldn't keep my promise for this update but hopefully the length makes up for it :)

**Author's Note: **Not really too happy about how this chapter turned out because no matter how I wrote it, it came out rushed or just not completely invested. Hopefully you all like it better than I do though, don't forget to leave a review and let me know!

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_The will to succeed is important, but the will to prepare is vital._

_~ Vince Lombardi_

Sweeney awoke feeling more refreshed than he had in years. He sighed in content as he felt comforted and _warm_. He felt something shift closer before arms tightened around his waist and a head snuggled into his chest and smiled. Linnet seemed to be the most adorable in sleep. Sighing once more he encircled her own waist and relinquished his for once peaceful mind to a bit more sleep.

It was in this entwined position that Linnet awakened. She smiled as she breathed in the masculine aroma of her companion. Some sort of mix between the scents of his trade, namely pomade and shave lather, and sandalwood – his preferred scent of bathing soap. She placed a chaste kiss against his lower jaw before beginning the work of freeing herself from the confines of his sculpted arms. Once she was free to stand she lifted her arms in an almost feline stretch and moved to freshen up in the privy, unaware of a certain barber watching her every step with a smirk plastered firmly on his face. He closed his eyes just as she returned, remaining stoic and feigning sleep as she leaned over him, shaking his shoulder gently in an effort to wake him. Suddenly he smiled, wrapped his arms around her and pulled her down onto the bed as he rolled over to hover above her.

"Good morning." He smiled.

"Good morning to you too, may I ask what has you in such a playful mood this fine day?" Linnet replied smiling affectionately.

"It seems the heavens have graced me with an angel who has chased away the demons of the dark. She had blessed me with a peaceful mind that I have not had in years and look! Here she lies before me, not having fled in the shadows of night." He dramatized.

She giggled and winked in return, "And where would I go, good sir? This is my house."

He gasped at her coquettish answer, "You wound me fair angel; I am deeply affected." He hung his head in mock sadness.

"Well we can't have that can we?" She replied, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you Linnet." Sweeney answered in all honesty, the playful tone of the morning gone, "You really are an angel."

"I am no such thing Sweeney; do not hold such high expectations of me. Just know that I will never abandon you, that I will always be there when you need me." She smiled gently and cupped his cheek as he knelt down to kiss _her_ for the first time. She grinned into his kiss as she accepted it and soon the two found themselves tangled once more in a heated caress of lips.

"Netty," Sweeney began as he traced kisses gently along the line of her neck, "I seem to find myself in a predicament."

"And that would be?"

"I do not wish to stop." He replied, pressing his lips deeply into the crook of her neck. Linnet's thoughts ran rampant. She could easily give into Sweeney's caress but would she be taking advantage of him? Here was a man who had been deprived of compassion and feminine touches for almost two decades. He felt indebted to her for being the first to truly reach out and he was pulling his emotions from her past with Benjamin. _This was not Benjamin._ With this thought she gently placed her palms against his shoulders and pushed, as much as he was not ready, neither was she.

"Sweeney, believe me, you have no idea how much I want this. I'm just not ready, and frankly my love, I'm not too sure you are either. Think on that." She kissed his cheek warmly before slipping out of the bed and moving to the kitchen to start breakfast for them both.

Sweeney sat, albeit dumbstruck, on the bed as he contemplated her words. How stupid could he have been? Of course she wasn't ready! The woman had been brutally ravaged years ago and had not experienced a man since! The likelihood that Sweeney would have been able to resist his animalistic urges once the act had begun was slim to none. He was a man after all and he too had not experienced the touch of a lover for years. He was quite selfish indeed, he would have to apologize.

He rose from the bed and made himself presentable, borrowing a fresh shirt from the late Mr. Reynolds. Upon entering the kitchen, he moved swiftly behind Linnet, bringing his arms around her from behind and his lips to her temple. "I'm sorry." He whispered.

Linnet's movements stilled and she turned to look at him in confusion, "For what?"

"Well this morning, it was entirely inappropriate and I shouldn't have tried to take-"

Linnet placed her fingers gently over his lips to still their movement, "Sweeney love, there was nothing wrong with what happened this morning. The only thing wrong is it may not be the right time." She continued as she saw his mouth attempting to open beneath her hand, "Sweeney you're not quite you just yet. Not completely anyway, you've still got the judge on your mind and I…" Her voice trailed away. She wasn't too sure how she felt. A few honest kisses were fine but anything further just seemed to horrify her at the thought of Michael Rueben. She was ruined. Spoiled.

Sweeney seemed to understand her pause as his arms tightened around her, "Listen, I've got an idea for something in the shop. I might need some help though."

"What is it?" She asked as she wormed her way out of his embrace and set the table for two.

"Just a slight modification I'd like to make to ol' Albert's chair." He smirked as he thought of his plan.

"Alright, why don't we head over there after breakfast? I'll just clean the dishes and be right there."

Sweeney nodded as he finished his porridge. Clearly the cheery mood he was in when he woke up was dissipating and he was reverting back to the everyday Sweeney. Linnet made a note to be careful before she was the victim of an emotional whiplash. In less than an hour she was climbing the steps to Sweeney's shop and walked in to see him sitting cross-legged in front of the chair with a large parchment open before him.

"What is that?"

"Blueprints. I've planned to reengineer the way this chair is made to make it easier and inconspicuous to transport the bodies."

"And how would you have the knowledge to do that?"

"I know a few things."

"Well who would have thought Sweeney Todd would turn out to be a Jack of all trades? Here I thought you were a master of one and a dabbler of none." She smirked, choosing to ignore the fact that he was continuing with Lovett's insane plan. "What can I do to help?"

"I ask for a wrench, you hand it to me." He replied before lying on his back and moving under the chair. It took the entire morning and most of the afternoon but the chair was finished, complete with trap door to the bake house. Sweeney could only smirk as he watched the chair return to its rightful position and close the door. The people of London would not know what hit them.

Linnet was still cautious about this plan. She couldn't understand how a man who had lost his own family was willing to desecrate others. Thankfully she observed that he would shave the men who walked in with their families and watch them leave though she wasn't sure if that was out of heart or out of fear he would not be able to catch them all before they ran. Lovett's business was booming now as apparently the taste of human was a delicacy to be savored. Linnet was disgusted, she hated going to the pie shop every day but she couldn't stop going. She had nothing else to do as both she and Sweeney were still wary of her reopening her own shop with Reuben still in town.

She prepared herself as she walked up the steps once more to the barbershop to find the splattering blood or to find Sweeney cleaning up after a kill, to find the body sliding down and hearing the squelching thud as it hit the stones below. She was not prepared to hear Sweeney's haunting voice singing to his sweet child.

"**And if you're beautiful what then**

**With yellow hair, like wheat.**

**I think we shall not meet again,**

**My little dove, my sweet,**

**Johanna**"

Linnet's heart went out to him, he had not been speaking of the revenge he had planned or the emotions he kept inside. He was not opening up to her the way he had previously and now he was singing to the bodies he killed. But why would he think he would never see his angel again?

"**Goodbye, Johanna!**

**You're gone and yet you're mine!**

**I'm fine, Johanna**

**I'm fine.**

**And if I never hear your voice,**

**My turtle dove, my dear**

**I still have reason to rejoice,**

**The way ahead is clear**

**Johanna!**"

Sweeney was planning on paving the way for her freedom, whether he ever saw Johanna again or not was not the point, the point was; he would free her from the clutches of Judge Turpin once and for all. He would free the world of all the prospective Judge Turpins and he would make sure another poor little naïve barber would not be annihilated the way he was.

"**And in that darkness when I'm blind**

**With what I can't forget.**

**It's always morning in my mind,**

**My little lamb, my pet**

**Johanna.**

**You stay, Johanna**

**The way I dreamed you were!**

**Oh look, Johanna!**

**A star!**

**A shooting star!**"

Linnet's eyes watered as she listened beneath the window. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She walked quietly into the barbershop as he continued and forced his hand to put down his friend. There was no one in the shop anymore, just the two of them, and the blood of the previous customer. She put her arms around him and he rested his head atop hers as he continued, gazing into the distance barely processing who he was holding and his words changed just slightly from its vindictive tone.

"**And though I'll think of you I guess**

**Until the day, I die.**

**I think I miss you less and less**

**As every day goes by,**

**Johanna!**"

His hold tightened, squeezing her as close as he possibly could.

"**And you'd be beautiful and pale**

**And look too much like her.**

**If only angels could prevail,**

**We'd be the way, we were**

**Johanna!**

**Wake up, Johanna!**

**Another bright red day!**

**We learn, Johanna**

**To say…**

**Goodbye.**"

His voice softened and Linnet felt a small wetness trail down from her hair and down the side of her face before dropping to the floor off the end of her chin. Sweeney was crying. He was letting his daughter go. He was letting his hope go. He planned to pave the way for Johanna to lead a full life and then who knew what he would do? She had to help him realize it wasn't the end but she didn't know how.

"Sweeney darling things must always get much, much worse, before they have hope of getting better. But they will get better. They always will." She said as she gently pushed him to sit in his demon chair, making sure neither of their feet were anywhere near the peddle. She sat across his lap, brushing his hair with her hand and holding him to her.

"Under the snow,

Beneath the frozen streams, there is life.

You have to know,

When nature sleeps, she dreams there is life!

And the colder the winter,

The warmer the spring.

The deeper the sorrow,

The more our hearts sing.

Even when you can't see it,

Inside everything, there is life."

Sweeney nestled his head into the crook of her neck and let her song sooth him once more. He closed his eyes and listened to her voice take him to a calmer place with her and for yet another moment in time with her, he felt at peace.

"After the rain,

The sun will reappear, there is life.

After the pain,

The joy will still be here, there is life!

For it's out of the darkness,

That we learn to see,

And out of the silence,

That songs come to be.

And all that we dream of,

Awaits patiently,

There is life…"

Linnet pulled on Sweeney's chin, forcing him to look her in the eye and see the sincerity of her words, "There is life." She finished and brought her lips to his.

"I have to end this somehow Netty. I have to end it. I can't live the rest of my life in this rage that consumes me. Everywhere I go, everyone I see, I see him! I have to end him; I won't feel this peace until I do."

"And I understand that love; just don't lose faith in your Johanna. You'll see her again. You'll be a family again."

"How could she want to be mine after all that I've done? How could she forgive me for what I'm doing now? Her father is a monster."

"I thought her father was dead." Linnet replied sympathetically, "You told me yourself that you've witnessed his passing. Little Johanna is truly an orphan, with me as her godmother. Sweeney Todd has no wife, he has no daughter. His only family consists of me, Mrs. Lovett, and I suppose Antony if he likes. I'm sure Antony would like a father." Linnet smiled, "And then of course Antony is quite taken with a lovely little blond girl named Johanna. I suppose she'll one day be my daughter-in-law. Hopefully yours as well."

Sweeney smiled at the thought for Linnet was right. Benjamin Barker was dead. Sweeney had yet to build his family, but with a little help from his angel, he could easily build one he would grow to love, cherish, and protect for the rest of his life. "I rather like that idea." He said quietly, "But first," his smile retreated, "we need to take care of the two bastards that ruined everything in the first place." He stood up slowly, making sure Linnet's feet were planted firmly on the ground and returned to wiping down the blood. She sighed and slumped her shoulders as she fought to tell him something she had been contemplating for a few days now.

Was killing Rueben and Turpin this way really justified? Turpin perhaps but what about Reuben? True he took the one thing of value she had and ruined any chance she had of a real family but she felt conflicted. In an odd sort of way, she was thankful for what happened. She had given up hope of having a family long before the event had even happened and while it left her with no husband, she received a son who loved her as much as she cherished him. Was it really so bad?

As she was mulling about these thoughts on her walk back from the market one morning, she came across a familiar alley and the sounds of fabric ripping accompanied by the muffled whimpers of a frightened female. Linnet's eyes widened and she peaked around the corner to find the man of her nightmares wreaking horror upon another unfortunate soul. All thoughts of forgiveness ran from her mind. Her anger and rage was back as she witnessed the life of Justine Fletcher – a rather beautiful and vivacious young woman – ruined. Her mind settled upon one path and one path alone.

She marched up the stairs and burst through the door, for once uncaring of the throat recently slit. She walked up to Sweeney and held his bloodied hand, still clutching the razor, by his wrist and looked into his eyes determinedly, "Teach me." She whispered.

* * *

**So it's not a sexy green rectangle anymore but it's got a cute little speech bubble...click it?**


	11. Calm

**Author's note: **There's no excuse. I know there's not. And I'm so terribly, absolutely sorry to have kept you all waiting SIX MONTHS! Long story short there was a lot of crap going on with me that wasn't completely figured out until I'd say about two months ago and then the muse was just gone. It's back though and to make up for my absence I hereby present you with TWO chapters! I hope I haven't lost any readers in the wait and I hope my deliverance of two chapters can somewhat make up for my disappearance? *hopeful puppy eyes* I'll send out the major thank-yous in the next chapter, for now I think you've waited long enough!

* * *

_The silence is deafening as the sun breaks through and the thunder is made to conform, But it's only an illusion the clouds use to deceive, The calm before the storm._

_~ Whiskurz (writers-network)_

_"Teach me." She whispered. _The shocking words had barely passed her lips and the clatter of a razor hitting the ground met their ears.

Sweeney's eyes locked on hers and for a moment they stood in a pregnant silence. Linnet's gaze remained steady on his, her jaw set firmly, and Sweeney found what he needed to see. She would not budge this decision. She had to end the miserable life of Michael Reuben. After what seemed an eternity, Sweeney gave a solemn nod and removed her hand from his wrist. In a silent understanding the two began cleaning the remains of his last victim before beginning her first lesson.

Linnet stooped to the ground to pick up their fallen friend and cradled it gently. She picked up an edge of her skirts and began meticulously wiping the drops of blood away bit by bit as Sweeney haphazardly wiped down his barber chair. He looked upon her awestruck face as she caressed his friend and listened to the satisfactory hum of the blade in her grasp. The feeling of her understanding washed over him and he was loathe to pull her from her reverie. He was saved the task when Lovett burst through the door.

"Is that the last one then Mr. T?" She asked, choosing to ignore the dazed woman still stooped in the corner.

"Yes." He muttered in a trance of his own, his eyes were glued to Linnet and the way she embraced his friend, "Allow no one else up here tonight, my shop is closed."

"Alright then." She sighed, turning to leave.

"Oh and Mrs. Lovett?" His head raised as he looked at her for the first time, "Do not disturb us for anything." He said with an even gaze to be sure she understood. Nellie sucked in her breath and nodded once before cantering down the stairs.

* * *

'_That woman is a menace!' _She thought as she barged through the door of her home. She began pacing in fury around the room knowing Toby was passed out drunk somewhere and wouldn't notice her odd behavior. _'She's ruining everything! This was to be __**my**__ chance! I lost to that damned perfect Lucy,' _Nellie scoffed at the thought of the angelic woman, _'I'll be damned if I let history repeat itself and lose him again to another woman. __**HE. WILL. BE. MINE!**__' _With this thought in mind, Nellie Lovett lay down in her bed, plotting the demise of Linnet Reynolds.

* * *

"Netty?" Sweeney asked, cautiously pulling her out of her daydream.

"Hmm?" She replied, finally tearing her eyes away from the now gleaming silver.

"Come here." He said as he sat on the barber chair himself, "Bring the wash basin and fill the crème pot as well." He leaned back in the chair and sighed in content as she confusedly prepared the things he'd asked, "Before you learn to use our friends, you must learn to manipulate them." He told her once she had finished and smirked as comprehension dawned on her.

She could not help the warmth that spread in her breast knowing he trusted her enough not only to use the word 'our' but to allow her to shave him as well. With a coy smile now gracing her lips she picked up the crème pot and brush and placed herself delicately on his lap, his hand resting on her legs off to one side, and she stroked the brush lavishly across his face and neck as his eyes held hers. Unconsciously, his hand clenched against her thigh as she put down the brush and picked up the smiling, silver razor.

She held his gaze for a moment longer, before dropping them to her hand clutching the razor in a fierce grip. Sweeney raised his hand to hers, "Not so tight love, cradle it as you were before, hold it gently and use your wrist. Manipulate our friend to do your bidding." He whispered. She breathed deeply, loosened her grip with the exhale of air, and with a steady hand, took the first stroke of his cheek.

Sweeney's eyes closed and his head gently fell back against the chair, exposing his face and neck to the candlelight. Linnet gently continued, stroking the blade against his face and washing away the lather in the basin, drying the blade against her skirt and repeating the process. She had shaved all but the front column of his throat but as she moved to stroke upwards, the feel of cold metal against his jugular caused him to swallow thickly; and the bob of his Adam's apple caused Linnet's hand to stutter in its movement and nick him enough for the smallest trickle of blood to appear.

She gasped as she saw it and stared in fascination for the briefest of pauses before lowering her lips to the wound and sealing it with the pressure of a kiss, licking the evidence away. "Now we're even." She whispered referring to the cut he had inflicted upon her. She cleaned the rest of his face and held the mirror for him to judge her work.

"Not bad." He murmured, observing his face from one side to the next. After scrutinizing her work from every possible angle he looked at her suspiciously and cocked an eyebrow, "Have you done this before?"

Linnet placed her arms around his shoulders and smirked slyly as she leaned into him, "Yes, I have." She whispered, giving him a slight peck on the lips, "Someone had to take care of my comatose father way back when and I suppose it just stuck with me."

"Then why did you not tell me earlier?" He asked, enjoying the playful mood.

"Because that wouldn't have been half as fun now would it?" She chuckled, leaning in for another kiss much deeper than the first, their breaths mixing as their tongues dueled the timeless battle for dominance. Neither was aware of the devious notions running rampant through the jealous mind of the baker below them.

"Now the only way to teach you the rest of our work is for you to actually do it." Sweeney said once they parted, "What say you to changing your position from assistant to apprentice?"

"A female barber? How scandalous Mr. Todd." She gasped in mock shock.

"Somehow I believe that London has fared worse my dear Netty." He chuckled in return, "I also believe that my reputation has done me enough favors for my clients to turn the other cheek for me to teach you."

"No pun intended of course?" Linnet smiled.

"Cheeky." He muttered.

* * *

Linnet passed the following days in an absent minded blur. Sweeney was right in thinking most of his patrons would not mind a woman shaving their faces given certain provisions: the married men laughed and claimed it was good practice for her, recounting tales of their wives – these men were lucky to find themselves spared; the average unmarried man leered at the thought of a woman shaving them, making random and lewd comments – these men were slaughtered with pleasure; still some men scoffed and demanded a compensation price claiming they had not arrived at the best barber in town to have a second rate _woman_ do the job – these men were thoroughly pick-pocketed while there was just enough life in them to see it.

All in all, business stayed constant and Linnet slowly but surely gained the confidence she needed to complete the task at hand. She and Sweeney had devised a plan in order to lure Rueben to the shop. He would not see Linnet until he was already in the chair where he would be graced with her surprise. Now all that was left to do was to find the lout and set their plan in motion.

"We'll get rid of Rueben first, and then take down the judge. It only makes sense seeing as we'll probably have to leave London once Turpin's discovered missing." Sweeney reasoned as the mulled about the pie shop waiting for Lovett to bring dinner from the bake house. Unfortunately she had convinced them both to allow her to cook dinner for once, something about the surplus otherwise going rotten.

"No need to convince me, I'd rather get it over and done with as soon as possible. I never wish to think of that vile man again." She replied.

"You won't think of him when you see Antony?"

"Not in the least. To me Antony was a gift from God. That man is the devil incarnate."

"If he's the devil then who's the judge?"

Linnet paused for a moment wondering if there was anything worse than being the devil's incarnate, "Previous life form?" She wondered aloud.

"How can two life forms exist at once?" He questioned with a smirk.

"He's the devil, I'm sure he can make more than one form of himself." She pouted.

"But that's not a previous life form is it? It's one life split into two halves and influencing other evils around it."

"Oh hush, you. I never claimed to be a philosopher."

Sweeney could only chuckle in response. Linnet always had a way of lightening his mood, "So I figure we can go to the market tomorrow and see if we can find the whereabouts of devil A." He mused.

"It's a date." She laughed just Nellie walked in with the pies. She set them down roughly on the table and stormed off to bring the ale. _That woman has to go __**now**__. _She thought violently, the last pieces of her plan coming into place. By the end of the week, Linnet Reynolds would only be a memory. She'd make sure of that.

* * *

**P.S. **I apologize for the choppiness of this chapter, there was really nothing much I could do to fix it, I promise the second is better ^.^ I just needed something to set it up a little more ;)


	12. Guerrillas

**Things you should know: **Sweeney sings "Into the Night" by Carlos Santana and Chad Kroeger (I figure Chad's voice is a good match to how I wanted Sweeney to sound anyway) as those of you who've heard the song will see, I've changed the lyrics a bit to better suit my needs in this chapter and as a general note, the lyrics are not in quotations they are in brackets. At no point in this chapter is Sweeney actually singing the words aloud to anybody, I thought it made a better affect to have them in his head.

**Thank-yous go to: **-my-forgotten-rose- , xBelekinax , tardisandafirebolt , Cheeto-ScorpioDimagram , peaches , Loki211 , E. Lovett , axelkairi , rockndasha , and of course (as always) ThePurpleness sorry love, I promised before Saturday and as of 25 minutes ago it's Satuday, oh well it's out now ;)

* * *

_Women are natural guerrillas. Scheming, we nestle into the enemy's bed, avoiding open warfare, watching the options, playing the odds._

_~ Sally Kempton_

"It's such a lovely day out, don't you agree?" Mrs. Lovett chirped Saturday morning as she brought out some porridge bowls, "I'm feeling the need in me bones to just take a day off and relax, maybe go to a lovely park, Toby darling you can learn to fly a kite." She smiled, planning the day, "What do you say Mr. T?"

"As you wish Nellie, it's your decision what you wish to do." He mumbled, barely paying any attention.

"I meant you to come with me Mr. T." She grumbled, pouting.

"And the shop? What if the judge should come by? What if he's forgotten his grievance in desperate need of a shave?" He growled, any chance – no matter how slim – could not be overlooked.

"Well you've got Ms. Reynolds now don't you? I dare say she knows enough not to run your business into the ground. How 'bout it dear? You wouldn't mind watching the barber shop while we go sit in the sun for a bit would ya?" Her eyes narrowed at Linnet, almost daring her to object.

"Not at all Nellie, what with how hard you work, you deserve the day off." She replied, the largest, fakest grin on her face as she spoke through her teeth.

"Oh yes dear. Thank you." Mrs. Lovett replied, equally as fake. Sweeney simply watched the interaction in amusement, "How about it Mr. T?" Lovett asked again.

Sweeney was all set to say no when he looked at Linnet and Lovett again. It wouldn't hurt, and maybe Nellie would see that he wouldn't cast her out to sea just because he did not return her addled affections, "Why not." He mumbled.

Linnet rolled her eyes and marched upstairs, honestly Nellie was pushing her luck now. Sweeney had clearly taught her how to wield a razor with precision and malice, and yet the bloody baker was stupid enough to continually rile her anger. As if Linnet couldn't see the way Nellie pined for Sweeney, her simpering voice calling 'Mr. T this' and 'Mr. T that'. She picked up an old rag and began dusting things down furiously. Oh how that woman vexed her. Honestly, she worried for Toby, she feared that Mrs. Lovett might actually brainwash the poor lad into believing Linnet was some barbaric she-demon from the pits of hell come to swallow him whole.

She'd rather swallow Nellie.

And why would Nellie suddenly have the fancy to go to the park? The day was looking rather dreary in truth; it would probably rain later in the day. If Nellie had really wanted to go out on a beautiful day, then why not corral Sweeney four days ago when the weather was beautifully summer with a gentle breeze? _Oh that's right,_ Linnet snickered, carefully wiping down each of her and Sweeney's friends, _because I was enjoying the day with him trying to track down that filthy rotten snake._

The two had walked almost the perimeter of the city and through the markets and had not seen hide nor tail of Michael Reuben, but the day was not lost on them as it had given Sweeney to relax, if only in the most miniscule amount. Linnet had also had the opportunity to converse once more with the kindly lady who had warned her of Reuben that first day in the market. She had learned that Elsa Ashwin was a lonely widow with no children. Her husband had been unable to conceive and had died young when his train – homeward bound after affairs of business had finally been settled – had mysteriously derailed.

Linnet sighed, it seemed there was no end to the suffering in London; she hoped Elsa would manage in life. She seemed very undeserving of the life fate had handed to her. Then again so were they all.

It had officially been one hour and thirty minutes since Lovett had swooped in like a hawk and stolen Sweeney and Toby for a day at the park. Linnet was flopped onto Sweeney's barber chair, bored. She had cleaned the shop spotless and was contemplating going downstairs to clean Lovett's as well in the desperate hope to cure her boredom before deciding against it. _Let the bitch do it herself_. She thought spitefully. _Although she'd probably have poor Toby do it, _Linnet huffed. _Damn it all._ She raised herself from the chair and stretched her stiff muscles, bending to take up the rag once more in order to go downstairs and see what could be done.

The ringing of the bell above the door halted her movements.

* * *

Sweeney was getting rather fed up of Nellie Lovett. The first half hour at the park had been spent showing Toby the proper technique to flying a kite in order to get the greatest height and flight time. Lovett seemed to take great pleasure in mothering the boy and yet something about it did not seem right to him. While he would admit Lovett was good with the boy and probably would have made a good mother at some point in her life, this boy and this situation with her just did not seem to fit properly. There seemed to be an underlying motive to everything she did nowadays. Sweeney shrugged mentally, it was probably just his paranoia creeping up on him.

He had gotten better at noticing those moments. The moments of complete irrationality. He had gotten better at controlling them ever since he had accidentally harmed his dear Linnet. Such an act could not be committed again. Killing the nameless bastards of London was one thing but he would never forgive himself if he harmed Linnet or even, he grudgingly realized, Mrs. Lovett or Toby. Though he had a reluctant acceptance of Toby and he would get annoyed to no end with Lovett, they and Linnet were the only people he had left. Although, he mused, if Linnet's hopes were anything to go by then once this was all over he would have Johanna again and he would even have a son to call his own.

Antony was a good lad all things considered. A little hasty in action and sometimes foolhardy but he was a good lad. Sweeney supposed he could be proud one day to call Antony his son. He only hoped Antony would feel the same. And Johanna. What would she think of him? Would she see the man as Linnet could? Or would she only see the monster? All would be revealed in time but first he had to get the judge. "Of course." He muttered to himself. The judge was the solution to all, "There must be a way to the judge."

"Judge." Lovett hissed, Sweeney almost jumped at the realization that he was no longer sitting alone, "Always harping on the bloody old judge." She continued, oblivious to his surprise, "We got a nice respectable business now. Money coming in regular-like. And since we're careful to pick and choose strangers, people who won't be missed, who's gonna catch on?" She smirked. She crawled up to him and placed kisses over his cheek singing about their could-be life on the sea and as uncomfortable as it was for him, he sat complacently and listened to what she had to say.

All-in-all her idea of what life could be wasn't too bad. Sweeney mused on what it would be like to live a quiet life by the seaside. Perhaps even raise a family and start from scratch. Live a life by the law far away from the horrors of London in a place where the law did its job as it was meant to. His hand reached out to pat Nellie's knee.

And Linnet's face swam before his eyes.

Though Nellie's dream sounded nice even to him, it was not meant for the two of them. He felt a small guilt stealing her dream but as he brought his hand back to himself he contended himself with the thought that this dream was better suited for himself, Linnet and a sailor boy with his…wife? _Well shit._ He had never allowed his thoughts of Antony's relationship with Johanna to progress much further than her rescue from the judge and this was exactly the reason why. She was far too young to be married, even if he did somewhat trust the boy if only because of his status as Linnet's son. But no, his – or rather Benjamin's – little girl was not yet ready to be married. No sir. There was no harm in waiting a few years for them to actually _know _one another was there? _Oh, my head._ He moaned internally. He had to see Linnet. They had to talk about this before her hormonal son whisked his – Benjamin's – daughter away.

"Mrs. Lovett, I'm afraid I am not feeling too well. I'm going back to the shop. You and Toby enjoy the rest of your day off." He clipped before taking off towards the shop in a hurried walk. He had just rounded the corner back to Fleet Street when he saw the distinct figure of Michael J Reuben opening the door upstairs. _No._ His chest convulsed and for one minute he stood frozen on the pavement before his legs kicked into action and he bolted up the stairs three at a time. _She's not ready, she won't be able to-_ his thoughts came to a screeching halt at the sight that greeted him through the small open window. Never in his life had he seen something so…erotic.

**[Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell,**

**It was love from above that could save me from hell,**

**She had fire in her soul, it was easy to see,**

**How the devil himself could be pulled out of me.]**

"Michael," Her voice purred as she circled the barber's chair, her prey oblivious to her intent, "I can't tell you how deeply affected I am that you remember me darling." Her hands trailed slowly down his stubbled cheeks, "Enjoy this moment," she leaned into his ear whispering, taunting, "the calm before the storm."

Reuben smirked at the thoughts no doubt flitting in and out of his mind. The storm in his mind one of lust and passion as Linnet picked up the crème pot and lavished his face.

**[There were drums in the air as she started to dance,**

**Every soul in the room keeping watch of her hands.]**

Carefully and seductively, she placed herself between Reuben's legs at the chair, her eyes boring into his as she stroked the deadly razor down each cheek, "My dear, you've kept me waiting far too long." She crooned, "I only realize now how long I've waited to have you at my hands."

Reuben's smirk grew, "Well here I am doll face. I'm at your disposal." He chuckled.

Linnet's eyes grew dark and the seductive tone turned cold, "Indeed." The razor came down and buried deep into his left pectoral. She twisted her hand and withdrew the blade watching as the muscle beneath his skin squirted his blood in a timely fashion, "Well look at that. You do have a heart. Small, shriveled and black as it is." She growled.

**[And we sand ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing**

**We're singing ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,**

**And she danced on into the night.]**

Michael Reuben now sat dead before her, his body having lost too many rubies to continue, the look of utter shock and distress frozen forever on his face. Linnet spat at him before slamming her foot on the lever to dispose of him to the bake house. Sweeney took this as his moment to enter.

**[Like a piece to the puzzle that falls into place,**

**You could tell how we felt from the look on our faces,]**

Sweeney took her into his arms and wiped the blood away from her face. He wrapped his right arm tightly around her waist and took up her right hand in his left and they swept around the room in an impassioned waltz.

**[We were spinning in circles, with the moon in our eyes,**

**All the rest disappeared but for she and I.**

**We forgot where we were as we lost track of time**

**And we sang to the wind as we danced though the night.]**

Their dance had led them to the balcony.

**[And we sang ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,**

**And the voices rang like the angels sing,**

**We're singing ay oh ay oh ay oh ay,**

**And we danced on into the night.]**

The two stopped dancing and stood gazing at the other, falling deeper and deeper into each other. Sweeney's eyes closed as his lips brushed hers in the sweetest embrace before locking his eyes once more to her own.

**[Like a gift from the heavens it was easy to tell,**

**That the love in her eyes, it would save me from hell.]**

His lips graced hers once more in a tango so passionate, the world fell away, and neither noticed the return of the baker and her ward.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	13. Silent No More

**Thank-yous: **tardisandafirebolt , DarkFireAngel00 , -my-forgotten-rose- , xBelekinax , Kitty243 , uknowyuuna13 , kurounue13 , VampWolf92 (btw i am amused by your name haha), ScrawledHearts , peaches , and of course the ever wonderful ThePurpleness, love ya babe and sorry for the lateness again **sheepish grin**

**What you should know: **yes, I've upped the rating to M however just like when I wrote for pirates, it's really more of a T+ as I'm not too comfortable writing lemons. I do my best but despite having read many, I don't think I could write a descriptive scene myself so please be easy on me in that department, hopefully I don't disappoint too much ^_^

**IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE BOTTOM OF CHAPTER, PLEASE READ!**

* * *

_Silences have a climax, when you have got to speak._

_~ Elizabeth Bowen_

Mrs. Lovett gathered a breakfast tray as she contemplated what she would say to Mr. Todd. Obviously her plan to catch Linnet off guard with Reuben had not worked too well. That infuriating woman had been more than ready and had disposed of the bloody idiot. She just couldn't win! If Benjamin had never met Lucy then perhaps-Lucy. A devious smirk overtook Nellie Lovett's face. All she would have to do was bring back Lucy. Figuratively of course. If she could evoke Benjamin, Linnet wouldn't stand a chance. He would be so enamored with the precious memory of Lucy that he'd be damned if he sullied it by pursuing Linnet. Of course then she, herself would lose out as well. But at least Linnet wouldn't have him either.

"I brought you some breakfast, dear." She said as she pushed through the door. Now that there was no threat of Reuben, Linnet had found it alright to return to her shop alone. Sweeney stood at the window regardless, watching over her as she crossed the street. Mrs. Lovett found this as the prime time to put doubt in his mind, "Mr. T, can I ask you a question?"

It took a moment for Sweeney to pull himself away from his musings of Linnet, "What?"

"What did your Lucy look like?" Sweeney stood ramrod, not moving an inch, and as the silence grew longer between her question and his response, Nellie struck once more, "Can't really remember can you?"

"She had yellow hair." He responded, desperate to prove her wrong.

Nellie smiled, that was all he could give her, "You've gotta leave this all behind, you know." She approached him slowly, "She's gone." She placed her hand tentatively on his back, "Life is for the alive, my dear."

Sweeney's gaze snapped to Lovett, the mere notion of forgetting his quest to avenge the life of Benjamin Barker! Was she mad? What was it she said? _Life is for the alive._ His gaze drifted hesitantly to the window, observing the door behind which Linnet had just disappeared.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Lovett interjected once more, "We could have a life us two." She was not going to push him into that woman's arms; he was supposed to give up the notion of 'love' all together! She would just have to improvise, "Maybe not like I dreamed. Maybe not like you remember." She allowed the thought to marinate for a moment, "But we could get by."

Sweeney turned to look at her, he had come to respect and (in the case of Toby, grudgingly) care for the few people he had left in his life. He didn't _want_ to destroy her dreams, but he could not come to care for her the way she wanted. He knew she would not be content with just being a part of his happy family with Linnet. She had said 'us two'. So what would she do with Toby? He opened his mouth to question her when the door burst open.

"Mr. Todd! Mrs. Lovett, ma'am." Antony stood, catching his breath.

"What is it Antony?" Mr. Todd asked.

"He has her locked in a madhouse."

"Johanna?"

"Fogg's Asylum." Antony replied, "I've circled the place a dozen times, there's no way in. It's a fortress."

Sweeney's face broke into a smug grin, "I've got him."

"Mr. Todd?"

"We've got her." He smiled, placing a warm hand on Antony's shoulder, more than delighted to share his master plan, "Where do you suppose all the wigmakers of London go to obtain their hair?" Upon receiving nothing but a blank stare from a cautious Antony he continued, "Bedlam. They get it from the lunatics at Bedlam."

"I don't understand."

Sweeney's warm hand slipped ever so slightly, perhaps he wasn't as sharp a boy as he'd originally thought, "We shall set you up as a wigmaker's apprentice. That'll gain you access. And then you take her." Antony stared in awe at the barber before Sweeney lost his patience, "Go. Quickly, go! Just before nightfall, you will tell the boy I have need of him." He said to Lovett as Antony disappeared down the stairs.

"Don't you think you should leave the boy behind?" She pled. When all Sweeney did was glare at her question, she turned and left the man to his business. Sweeney looked out the window at the crisp morning and figured he had a few hours before his plan would be set to motion, leaving ample time to run over to Linnet's. He clambered down the stairs with purpose and swiftly made it over to Linnet's shop, pulling out the spare key he had found a while back in case of emergency. He invited himself into the house and made his way to her bedroom where he waited for her to come out of the bath.

Linnet had just finished her morning routine when she opened the door to find Sweeney sitting morosely on her bed, his elbows rested on his knees with his hands clasped in front of him, his shoulders hunched over, and his eyes trained solely on the floorboards in front of him. Linnet jumped and placed a hand to her heart, "Sweeny, love, you gave me quite the fright. What are you doing here so early? I was just ready to make breakfast and come over to see you." She smiled, walking closer.

Sweeney's head tilted, he looked up at her with the largest brown eyes she had ever seen and said pathetically, "Tell me. Tell me about your friend. The one whom you say I resemble. Tell me about him, about his life. Tell me about his…his life."

Linnet looked at him, confused by what he was asking and wondering as to what he had stumbled over before the reason for the dejected look hit her, "He was the most kind and loving man I had ever met. I hadn't a friend in the world until he showed up one day in my life. You could say he saved me from myself. Saved me from my own wandering and desolate mind. His wife, Lucy, was beautiful. She was everything I ever wanted to be. Everything I ever hoped I would be."

Linnet wasn't sure if saying the words now was wise, but she knew she would get no better opportunity to tell Sweeney exactly how it was she once felt. And anyway she had already begun, she couldn't back track now as she saw Sweeney's inquisitive face telling her to continue, "Reluctantly, I'm afraid I have to admit I was in love with my friend." She turned away from his face, not wanting to see his reaction and instead moved to the bay window on the far side of the room, "I would settle for having only his friendship because I knew he would never see me in the way that he saw her. And why should he have? She was perfection in human form. Kind, loving, doting, and beautiful, an angel among us. He'd have been a fool not to love her."

"Seems to me he was a fool to love her too." Sweeney injected.

"Horrifyingly sad little world, isn't it?"

"It would seem so."

The silence stretched uncomfortably between the two of them, Linnet begging to have not lost Sweeney as well as Benjamin, and Sweeney contemplating the mistakes of the foolishly naïve Benjamin. Finally, Linnet heard slow and steady footsteps make their way to her before a warm and gentle hand tilted her face upwards, "You are not Lucy." Sweeney said softly.

"And you are not Benjamin." Linnet replied equally as soft, standing to bring them closer.

"Benjamin belonged to Lucy and lost his life for it." Sweeney mumbled, "So what do I choose?"

"I love you." Linnet whispered, her forehead resting on his cheek, her eyes clenched shut as if anticipating the pain of rejection. Sweeney moved one hand along her jaw, barely skimming her soft skin, simultaneously squeezing her waist, bringing her closer to him still. He threaded his fingers gently through her silken hair and pressed his lips to hers.

Tears welled in Linnet's eyes as a feeling of almost completeness filled her heart. As she responded to Sweeney's kiss with fervor he tasted the salty wetness of the few drops that escaped her lower lid. His attempt to pull away and inquire to their purpose ended fruitless as something in Linnet snapped and she pushed forward wanting nothing more than their two lips to tangle forever. This was right. This was the man she wanted to erase the memory of what that horrid man did to her so many years ago. This was the man that was meant to be her first experience in the world of men. This was the man that would make everything all right in the end; the man that would, in time, mend her shattered world.

It took less than a moment for Sweeney to abandon his quest for answers and respond in kind to her passion. His arms squeezed her as tightly as he could, not being close enough, wishing he could pull her very essence into him. While the one hand twisted her hair and demanded her lips, his other roved her back, releasing her from the confines of her clothing. Her fingers trailed over his shoulders and down his chest plucking the buttons of his shirt and exploring his chest as inch by inch it was revealed.

She tore her lips from his and sucked in a large breath as without missing a beat he pressed his lips over her racing pulse. Following the sweet river of blood hidden beneath her skin, he kissed his way down to the juncture of her neck, reveling in the euphoric sensation of her hands touching his bare flesh and traveling ever so maddeningly slow to the place he craved her most. Panting heavily, she removed his trousers as he steered them towards the bed. Writhing together atop the previously pristine linens, the two lost themselves in each other. The feeling of bliss fabricated in that exact moment when their bodies connected beyond all other, eradicated all other emotions and gave hope for their future together. As they lay together in a heaving, sweaty entanglement, both Sweeney and Linnet vowed silently to themselves to find happiness. When all lose ends were finally tied and snipped, they would both move on from the torrential ache of yesteryear and live for a brighter day.

Eyes pulling heavily, Sweeney brought a drowsy Linnet into the crook of his arm and allowed them both a few more hours of sleep. He would divulge his ingenious plot to her when they awoke.

* * *

**_!PLEASE READ!_**

If you plan on reading future stories from me, or if you follow my version of Pirates of the Caribbean, or if you are interested in reading Harry Potter/Twilight crossover please continue reading this note, if neither of the previous situations apply to you, please review this chapter and have a nice day :)

I have had an idea for a Harry Potter/Twilight crossover in my mind for quite sometime, it would be an AU post-war and a romance between Hermione and Jacob but with heavy involvement from the Cullens considering Hermione had a strong brother/sister relationship with Cedric Diggory who is actually Edward Cullen. On top of that I have a bit of comedy with Remus as Hermione's surrogate father and not too happy about the young wolf interested in his female cub ;) Hopefully a story with lots of laughs and drama combined.

What I need to know is this: First of all would anyone actually want to read this story, secondly whether I should attempt to write this along with Pirates 3 or concentrate on Pirates 3 and come back to this after? The poll is up on my profile page, please take a moment to vote for what you would like me to do. Of course neither Pirates nor crossover will be written until after I've finished with Sweeney which should be no more than 2 or 3 chapters now!

SO! Again I ask you to please vote for your opinion on my profile page, the poll will be up until the first chapter of Pirates 3 goes up because regardless, I will be writing that one next as I've kept all the pirate fans out there waiting far too long haha and as always, please review for this chapter!


	14. Consistency Begs Failure

**IMPORTANT:** here's the deal with this chapter, Toby never sang to Lovett, he merely explained what he thought to her before she locked him in the bake house. Toby's singing is the underlined and bold text and as for Toby's fate, it's up to you to ultimately decide whether or not things worked for the best...you'll see what I mean

**Thanks to **peaches , TheBrightsider , and of course ThePurpleness and by the way oh great purple one we are definitely making this cafe thing a monthly if not biweekly occurrence lol we'll hash out details later ;)

enjoy!

* * *

_Consistency is the last resort of the unimaginative_

_~ Oscar Wilde_

_Most Honourable Judge Turpin,_

_ I write this urgent note to warn  
you that the young sailor has  
abducted your ward Johanna._

_Hoping to earn you favor I have  
persuaded the boy to bring her here  
tonight to my shop._

_Hurry after night fall and she  
will be waiting._

_Yours,  
Sweeney Todd_

Sweeney held his letter up for Linnet, "It will do fine, short and to the point." Antony had, hopefully, by now already reserved a carriage to Wellingborough and was on his way to free Johanna from the asylum, "Toby, darling do you know where the Old Bailey is?" She asked as he entered the shop.

"Yes, Mum. Not that I ever been there."

Linnet smiled gently at him as she passed a hand over the top of his head and down his cheek, "I need you to do us a small favor, hm? Take this letter there and seek out a Judge Turpin."

"No problem, Mum. Take this to the Old Bailey and seek out Judge Turpin."

"Good lad, you are to give this letter to him, and **only** to him do you understand?"

"Yes, Mum. Only deliver the letter into Judge Turpin's hand. And while I'm out, do you mind if I stop by the grocer just to pick.."

Sweeney stood abruptly, advancing on the boy, "No. You're not to stop, you're not to speak. You're to deliver the letter. Do you understand?" He hissed as he backed Toby into the door.

"Yes, sir." He muttered before retreating quickly through the door.

Linnet sighed, "Sweeney, love was it really necessary to frighten the boy?"

Sweeney shrugged, "I would be lying if I said it didn't give me some amusement." He smirked, "Besides, it's not like we'll be staying long here after Turpin is dead is it? We take care of business and then we take off, never to return to this retched town ever again."

"That does sound lovely, just the four of us."

"Four?"

"Did I forget to mention? Ah, that's right," She slung her arms over his shoulders and twined them behind his neck, "I was going to tell you earlier today before you realized how deliciously ruttish we both are."

Sweeney hummed in satisfaction as he enclosed her waist and brought his lips to her neck, "Well go on then woman we don't have all day."

"I convinced Antony to book passage to Wellingborough. You and I are to meet him and Johanna at Thatcher's home where the four of us will take off on our lifelong adventure together."

Sweeney's face, for once, conveyed his shock, the softness entering his eyes once more, "Truly?"

"Yes, my darling. My amorous son and my beautiful soon-to-be daughter-in-law will be with us."

From Sweeney's lips burst a laugh so pure, Linnet's heart soared just as Sweeney himself lifted her into a twirl, "Things are finally going right." He smiled as he put her back down.

Linnet kissed him soundly on the mouth, "I'm going to go pack things up and you get ready to put this all to rest."

As Linnet came down the outside steps, she saw Toby jumping off a buggy. She chuckled as she realized the little sneak had hitched a ride on some unsuspecting horseman's carriage, "All went well Toby?"

"Yes, Mum. I was wondering though, if I could have a word with you."

"Of course darling, what is it?" She asked placing a hand on his shoulder.

"On the way back, that buggy I was riding passed by the workhouse, and I got to thinkin'. But for you and Mrs. Lovett, I'd be there now. Or someplace worse." He looked down, shying away from her fixed gaze.

"Oh Toby, come here love." She wrapped an arm around his shoulder and gently led him to a seat at one of the tables, "I know things seem bleak at the moment dear but things always turn around in the end for those that deserve it. Nothing's gonna harm you, darling. I'll make sure of that hm?" She placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and went off towards her shop. She would have to abandoned most of her perishables and the thing she couldn't take with her to Mrs. Lovett but that would be small compensation for stealing Sweeney away forever. Linnet chuckled at the idea, poor Nellie would be left alone but for Toby. Hopefully she'd manage, and if she didn't…_well it's no skin off my nose_, she thought.

In a short while she had what little clothes she had packed and ready to go along with her hidden box under the floorboards and a few precious mementos she's like to take as well. She hefted the bag onto her shoulder and in her hands carried a small envelope. As long as she was taking Sweeney away from Lovett, what small compensation she could give to her would help to ease her guilt. After all, Nellie couldn't have really meant her any harm, she'd only let her want for Sweeney's heart cloud her judgement. In her hands she held the deed to her property, Linnet decided she would hand it over to Nellie and allow her to either relocate to the nicer shop and sell her old one or keep her old location and sell Linnet's. Either way it would definitely eradicate any remaining debts and assure that Nellie could purchase quality meats now that her business was booming.

"Nellie?" She called as she entered the shop, upon receiving no answer she moved further into the house, "Nellie are you there?" Having still received no answer she moved toward the steps leading to the bake house when she heard a faint pounding. _Is that Toby's voice?_ She thought. When the noise continued she ran down the steps and flung the door open to catch little Toby as he fell into her clutching her waist and crying into her stomach, "Toby darling, what's the matter? How did you end up down here? Nellie told you, you weren't allowed down here didn't she?"

"It was her Mum! She said she'd bring me down here to teach me how to make the pies and then she left me here. I dunno if she meant to lock the door but I was so scared, I didn't want to be locked here."

"Hush, darling, hush. I'm sure it was an accident now come with me, let's have a little sit down on the sofa shall we? I'm sure once Nellie gets back you'll see it was all just a misunderstanding."

"I was warning her about Mr. Todd, Mum. I feel like I should warn you too. She tried to send me off for toffee when I saw Senor Pirelli's purse. I thought Mr. Todd had done something terrible and when I said we needed to call the law she brought me down here."

Linnet hesitated with this new information but plastered a smile on her face none the less, "I'm sure it's all just one big misunderstanding. Now who's to say that there's not more than one purse in the world like that old codpiece's, hm? Why just the other day I saw two different women wearing the same dress as me!" She laughed sitting him down next to her on the sofa.

"I suppose you're right." He mused turning towards her, "Seems like the good lord sent you for me, Mum."

"Aw, well that's very sweet of you to say." She smiled.

"Listen to me please, you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. But what if there was someone around, someone bad? But you didn't know it."

"Toby.."

"**Nothing's gonna harm you,**

**Not while I'm around.**

**Nothing's gonna harm you, no sir**

**Not while I'm around**"

"Darling, there's no one bad that you need to worry about."

"**Demons are prowling everywhere, nowadays!**

**I'll send 'em howling,**

**I don't care, I got ways.**"

"Sweetheart, you've no need to worry about this you're just a boy love."

"**No one's gonna hurt you,**

**No one's gonna dare.**

**Other's can desert you,**

**Not to worry, whistle I'll be there.**

**Demons'll charm you with a smile, for a while,**

**But in time, nothing's gonna harm you,**

**Not while I'm around.**"

Linnet stroked his hair back and pulled him into a hug.

"**Not to worry, not to worry,**

**I may not be smart but I ain't dumb.**" He continued, pulling out of her hug to look her in the eyes, "**I can do it, put me to it**

**Show my something I can overcome!**

**Not to worry, Mum.**

**Being close and being clever,**

**Ain't like being true.**

**I would never, I don't need to**

**Hide a thing from you,**

**Like some.**" His eyes shifted to the sound of Sweeney pacing above.

"Now darling, Mr. Todd has been nothing but wonderful to me and to you. Mrs. Lovett may be a bit angry with him or maybe even me because of some things you're a bit too young to know about, but all is well dear. Do you trust me?"

"Yes, Mum I do. It's him I don't."

"Well then if you trust me, you can trust him. Because I trust him. With all my heart." She pulled him back into her embrace as she sang to him, stroking his back, "Nothing's gonna harm you,

Not while I'm around.

Nothing's gonna harm you, darling.

Not while I'm around."

"**Demons'll charm you with a smile,**

**For a while..**"

Linnet cut him off by putting her finger gently to his lips and looking into his eyes with utmost patience, "You need to trust that I'm no fop,

I know tops."

"What's going on in here?" Nellie's voice called from the doorway. Linnet looked up to see Sweeney standing behind her.

"Nothing at all, Nellie." Linnet replied, "Toby was just under a bit of a misunderstanding, weren't you darling?" She asked looking down at him and nudging his shoulder.

"Yes, Mum. Just a misunderstanding is all."

"Toby, dear is there something you wish to tell Mr. Todd?"

Toby stood and made his way to stand in front of Mr. Todd, gulping slightly in fear at the site of an open blade in his hand, "I'm s-sorry sir, I suppose I let my imagination run wild and I judged you in a manner that was wrong." He looked, pitifully up at Sweeney and received a nod of affirmation. Toby let out a breath of relief and turned back to Linnet with a smile.

"Well isn't this just beautiful." Nellie scoffed, "Is there anything you won't leave to me?"

"Nellie the poor boy was locked in the bake house what did you expect me to do?"

"Leave him there! For all I care he could have ended in the sewer! The little traitor turned to you as well? It wasn't enough that you stole Mr. T but you had to take the boy away as well?"

"Nellie calm down, I came here to.."

"I don't bloody care WHAT you came here to do you harlot!" Nellie was crazed, and Toby ran to Linnet in fear, "You just couldn't make this easy for me could you? No, you had to bloody TRIUMPH! Even when I sent that pathetic excuse of a man to the shop. I told him you'd be all alone and you'd be his for the taking and the bastard couldn't even handle that! The perfect set-up blown because he couldn't take care of you but I'm through coming in second place!" Nellie shoved Sweeney, who stumbled in surprise and grabbed his razor, lunging at Linnet so quickly he had no time to react.

Toby lunged at the same time as Nellie and shoved his elbow hard into her stomach causing her to double over, stumbling in her step she tripped over the wrinkled throw rug and smacked her head on the stone mantle landing face down in front of the fireplace, unmoving. Blood pooled by her head and seconds later another formed near her stomach. Sweeney moved forward and turned her over to find her frozen face, dazed in shock and her own hand clutching the razor buried deep into her abdomen.

"I-I didn't mean to..she was going to..I couldn't just let her.."

"Hush Toby, hush." Linnet pulled hid his face from the horrific site, "It wasn't your fault dear, we know that, and I thank you so much for protecting me."

"Knock, knock." Beadle's voice came from the front room.

"Oh dear lord, what now?" Linnet asked rhetorically.

"It's the Beadle, maybe he heard the screaming and came to find out." Toby panicked, tears welled in his eyes, "I can't go to prison, Mum. Or what if they hang me? I just got to know what it's like to have someone who cares."

"I'm waiting!" Beadle's voice sang.

"Sweeney, love go see what he wants, I'll take care of Toby."

Without question, Sweeney swept into the front room to confront Beadle Bamford and Linnet could just make out something about stinking chimney's before she turned back to Toby, "Now love, I know what we'll do. There's a little old lady not far from here. She's a kindly old lady who lives alone and wouldn't argue for some company. Tell her your name, and that I sent you to her for protection from the work house. If she doesn't remember me, remind her that she warned me of a man named Michael Rueben some time ago in the marketplace." Toby hesitated, "Run, Toby. Go! Now!" She hissed.

Toby ran out the back door and into the street, startling some poor horse. Linnet heard the frightened whinny, heard the sound of an aggressive horseman cursing stupidity, heard Toby squeal in fear at the crack of a whip and then nothing more than the sound of a carriage continuing its way. She hoped beyond hope Toby had made it through alright, but she hadn't the heart to look.

* * *

**reviews make me squeal like a gleefully obsessed fangirl :)**


	15. The Rift Between Them

**Notice: **the reference to Lucy propositioning Sweeney comes from the theatrical play, not the movie, as is the reference to the rest of Lucy's antics :)

**Thank yous: **-my-forgotten-rose- , DarkFireAngel00 , Scars In2 Stars , but most importantly ThePurpleness not only for remembering to badger me for missing my self-made deadline, but for helping me dig myself out of the holes I get stuck in ^.^

* * *

_There is no squabbling so violent as that between people who accepted an idea yesterday, and those who will accept the same idea tomorrow._

_~ Christopher Marley_

Linnet turned back to the gory mass that once was Nellie Lovett. Her stomach clenching, she knelt down to retrieve the razor still embedded within the demonical wretch and cleaned the blood with the dish rag hanging from her belt. She would have to do something with the body before Antony and Johanna came. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind, when Sweeney walked into the room with a splash of blood staining his face and shirt. Saying nothing, he stooped down and hefted Lovett over his shoulder before descending the stairs to the bake house to dispose of her.

Linnet moved the crumpled throw rug to cover the blackish-red stain marring the floorboards. She then used the same dish rag to wipe down the hearth before throwing the bloody scrap into the fire and retrieving a second one to clean Sweeney's face. She dampened the cloth with warm water and wiped clean his face in complete silence as he stared back at her.

"The boy had some use after all." Sweeney said; which would be the only acknowledgment of the boy's bravery from his part.

"I'm sorry about Nellie." She whispered, unbuttoning his shirt to wipe his chest. It wouldn't do for Antony and Johanna, or the judge for that matter, to see him like this.

Sweeney shrugged, "At least her true colors shone now and we have nothing more to.."

Linnet placed two fingers on his lips before he could finish, "Don't jinx anything love." She replaced her fingers with her lips for a brief kiss, "We still need to rid ourselves of the judge and disappear from this cursed place before we're home free."

Sweeney chuckled, returning the kiss while removing the blood stained shirt from himself. Pulling away from Linnet he looked at the shirt in his hand, shrugged once more, and threw it too in the fire. He pecked her lips once more, "I'm off to fetch a shirt then."

"Hurry back, love."

Cocking an eyebrow, Sweeney smirked, "I don't think there's quite enough time."

Throwing her head back in laughter, Linnet pushed him up the stairs, "Antony and Johanna will be here soon you sex-crazed lout." His face brightened as he hurried up the stairs, Linnet's laughter echoing behind him. Antony was already leaving to fetch the reserved carriage in the short time it took Sweeney to come back down. "Johanna darling this is the man I was telling you about, Mr. Sweeney Todd."

Johanna stood from the sofa to curtsey politely, "A pleasure sir, Mum has told me such wonderful things." Sweeney stood in shock at the sight of Benjamin's daughter; the spitting image of Benjamin's wife. He felt a tug on his heartstrings as the baby blue eyes of an innocent child stared up at him, eyes that brought back memories long buried. Sweeney swallowed the lump in his throat as he realized the remnants of Benjamin were rising. "Mum told me that Antony and I would be joining you," Johanna continued as an awkward silence hung in the air, "that I would be able to call you Dad." Sweeney let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, "I've never had a real father before. At least none that I remember." She hung her head and stared at her clasped hands in front of her with the confession and Sweeney finally broke. Crossing the distance between them in two quick strides, he gathered the girl into his arms and placed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"I would love nothing more," Sweeney began, having to clear his throat once more, "than for you to call me Dad."

Johanna wrapped her arms around him, feeling an odd sense of comfort from a man that she had never before met. She knew she should question why she trusted this man so quickly, but as he held her tightly in a manner purely befitting of a father, she could not bring herself to care. In that one moment, she felt so safe, so secure, that she would overlook everything just to hold on.

Linnet's eyes filled with tears at the site of them. She could not wait to leave London, they could take care of the estates and all else later. All she wanted was to finish things as quickly as possible so that she and Sweeney could just join Antony in the same carriage, "Sweeney, love." She hated interrupting the moment but the judge would be coming soon and if he caught sight of Johanna all would be lost, "Your final customer should be arriving soon. Best you wait upstairs so that he doesn't catch sight of Johanna here."

Coming to his senses, Sweeney nodded and released Johanna from his hold, "There'll be more time later. Tonight we make a hasty retreat from this city." Johanna nodded and followed Linnet into a bedroom away from any windows.

* * *

Sweeney ascended the stairs once more, slowing his steps before opening the door as he heard inane chatter from inside, "I saw you! Are you in there still, Beadle? Beadle? Beadle! Dear Beadle! Beadle-deedle-deedle-deedle dumpling! Beadle dumpling! Ba-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle-deedle.."

Sweeney burst through the door having heard **more** than enough, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Evil is here sir." She cried, "The stink of evil from below! From her!" Sweeney took note of her placement on top of the trap door as she continued, "Oh, she's the devil's wife! Beware her, sir. She with no pity in her heart." She spat before a glossy look covered her face, "Hey! Don't I know you, mister?" Sweeny rolled his eyes, obviously the beggar woman remembered him from when she propositioned him and Antony as they walked off the ship.

"Mr. Todd?" Turpin's voice called from the steps outside. Acting quickly, Sweeney slit the mindless woman's throat, pushed the pedal before she could fall and stain the shop with more blood, and whipped out his vest, buttoning it over his shirt as Judge Turpin burst through the door. "Where is she?"

"Below, your honor. With my apprentice, a woman rest assured." He said quickly as Turpin moved to rush downstairs, "A woman who is wonderful at calming the troubled mind. Thank heavens though, the sailor did not molest her. Thank heavens, too, she has seen the error of her ways."

"She has?"

"Oh, yes. Your lesson was well-learned. She speaks only of you. Longing for forgiveness."

"Then, she shall have it." Turpin smiled, oblivious to the murderous thoughts of the man in front of him, "She's downstairs you say? In the meat shop?"

"Yes your honor." Sweeney intercepted the man's path to the door and slung an arm across his shoulders leading him to the barber chair, "Forgive me if I am too forward but she speaks to my apprentice of the many ways in which she has seen you."

"Oh?"

"It would seem the girl is partial to a smooth cheek," he whispered as if sharing a secret, " and I feel in order to atone for my foolishness in having dealings with the boy," he spat as if disgusted with himself, "well the least I can do is offer you a free shave." He smirked, "Clear the air, perhaps?"

"Well Mr. Todd, when you put it that way, I suppose it can't do any harm to let the women talk a bit longer, hmm?" Turpin followed willingly to the chair.

"Sit, sir. Sit."

* * *

"Oh, Mum. It was magical when we met. The way he spoke to me, such kindness and chivalry. You've raised a wonderful, wonderful man." Johanna gushed, smiling largely as she and Linnet had their girl talk. She barely remembered her own mother after all, just a small tune she would hum over and over and she clutched her baby to her chest.

"Thank you, my dear. I am very proud of my son, and I'm so happy he's found a young lady like yourself. I can think of no one better for him than yourself."

"You flatter me, Mum."

"Not at all, darling." Linnet hugged the girl, resting her head atop Johanna's. She thought of what it would have been like if she had never had Antony. She would never have had reason to leave London and would have helped raise this beautiful girl, only to be forced one day to hand her off to a man that would never be worthy of her. Funny how life worked sometimes.

* * *

"How seldom it is one meets a fellow spirit."

"With fellow tastes? In women, at least." Sweeney spat, momentarily remembering Benjamin once more.

"What's that?" Turpin asked, more than a little confused.

"The years have no doubt changed me, sir. But then, I suppose the face of a barber, the face of a prisoner, a dog, is not particularly memorable."

Realization dawned on Turpin too late, "Benjamin Barker."

"BENJAMIN BARKER!"

* * *

"What was that?" Johanna pulled away, looking towards the ceiling.

"The sound of demons; of a hell-born nemesis finally falling into the fiery pits where he belongs." Linnet answered, "No more nightmares, no more worries. All is finally put to rest."

Johanna sighed in relief as she sagged back into the welcome arms of her lover's mother, soon to be her own. Though she didn't quite understand what had truly happened, she understood enough to know that her life, from then on, would be nothing but fair sleep and sweet dreams.

Thinking to help Sweeney clean up downstairs, Linnet took Johanna to the living room to wait for Antony by the fire before heading to the bake house. Sweeney was already there, drenched in blood, opening the over door. "Something tells me we'll need to buy you an entirely new wardrobe, love." She mused. Sweeney smirked as he turned around, the ruby droplets making him look more than just devilish, "For now we'll have to settle with wiping down your face yet again and covering you in a nice long robe. Antony should be back any minute with that carriage and we'll be all set."

Sweeney hummed in agreeance, still too overwhelmed with the feeling of freedom to say anything. He leaned against the stone wall for a moment, letting the feeling sink in before letting out the deepest, most freeing sigh of his entire life. The weight was gone, the objective complete. He could move on with Linnet, and finally have the family he had dreamed of from the very beginning.

A small, startled cry disrupted his musings.

Linnet was crouched by the body of the beggar, her hand shaking as she swept more scraggly blonde hair away, "You told me she was dead!" She hissed.

The weights returned without mercy as Sweeney crouched next to her, observing the body of the throat he had recently slit, "Don't I know you, she said." Sweeney's brows clenched together in grief as the true meaning of what he had done slammed into his body with full force, "I told you what Lovett told me." He whispered, "What have I done?" The tears leaked through his eyes and fell onto her face as he picked up the body and held it as close to himself as possibly, "Lucy!"

Linnet stood, backing away slowly from the scene unfolding, "Sweeney?" She asked, uncertainly, "Sweeney, there's nothing more we can do." She cried. Over the weeks, she had come to accept her friend's death. Though knowing she was alive all this time changed things a bit, she realized that Lucy truly had died the moment the poison had passed her lips. Linnet had seen the crazed woman begging for money, attempting to offer her body for merely a morsel of food, screeching in a horrid, mangled voice to strangers about her misery. That woman was not the Lucy they had known; Lovett had been telling a half truth in claiming her dead. Though it hurt no less, Lucy was gone; she was never coming back, and had Sweeney not slit her throat, they would not have had another thought to her aside from the resemblance of her daughter, and the life that was taken too soon.

"I killed her." He cried, still clutching her body, "I killed her."

"Sweeney she was already dead! She died by her own hand! That woman is not Lucy."

"I killed her."

"Sweeney, now she can rest in peace. She can be with her Benjamin, please Sweeney."

"I killed her."

"Sweeney?"

"I killed her."

Tears flowed endlessly through Linnet's eyes and she clutched her chest, attempting to ease the torturous throbbing beneath her breast. She was losing him already. Losing him to the memory of the man and wife he had killed.

"Mum?" Antony's voice called from the top of the stairs.

"Sweeney," She tried one more time, hurrying before Antony could make it down, "Sweeney please, the coach is here it's time to leave."

His reply came in silence as she staggered to her feet and to the door. She caught Antony just before he reached the bottom of the stairs, "Sweeney won't be coming with us." She sobbed, and Antony only nodded, helping his mother up the stairs and into the loaded carriage.

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**THIS IS NOT THE END!**

**A/N: **It has come to my attention that I've lost a lot of reviewers, and I completely understand because I did take forever to get back into the swing of this story, but it has also come to my attention that new people are still adding this story to favorite lists and alert lists without reviewing. **The bottom line is this** - Writing is my passion, I hope to make a career out of it someday and your reviews not only ensure that I'll stick to that path but they help encourage me that my passion isn't wasted. I understand I'm not the best writer, and there's a lot I can improve on (if you notice something, point it out no matter how small or how big), but the will to improve comes from knowing there are people who care to see it happen.

I sincerely thank the people who have supported me thus far, and I hope the rest of you understand how much it means to me to hear from you.


	16. Wait No More

**Author's note: **holy crap, i can't believe the response i got to the last chapter, thank you all so much (individual thanks will follow this note) the song i used in this chapter is I'd Come For You sung by Nickelback, the song is amazing and fits this chapter perfectly in my opinion but of course i changed the words just a little bit to suit my purpose better. I'm sorry it took two months for this chapter to come out and if you seriously want an explanation then message me and i'll give it but the epilogue is done and shall be posted shortly :)

**Thank You!s go to: **DarkFireAngel00 , Lady Cassandra Destiny , black-sage13 , Sasha Fierce , Goodbye Lullaby , , jugalettePENNER , Pirate-Jedi-Ninja-In-Training (love your name btw haha) , batgirl3952 , amber d , VampWolf92 , , and of course the ever wonderful Purpleness love you darling **uber huggles**

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_Fate exists but it can only take you so far, because once you're there, it's up to you to make it happen_

_~ Movie: Can't Hardly wait_

Linnet sat at the bay window in Thatcher's house. Antony and Johanna were out and about, enjoying the day before the foretold shower came. Johanna was ecstatic to finally be out of her prison and could not get enough of the outdoors. She truly was like a bird set free, her spirit soaring to new heights unimagined in her previous confinement; and while Antony was happy for her and more than happy to indulge her childlike enchantment, he was growing increasingly worried over his mother's mental health. He was sure that if he ever saw Sweeney Todd again, regardless of the kindness he had previously shown him, the man would pay for inflicting more undeserved pain on his mother.

"Antony?" Johanna's voice called sweetly, "Where are you love? Your mind is too far for me to reach."

"Mr. Todd." He replied simply, disappointment ringing in his voice.

"It saddens me too. He seemed like a wonderful man. And Mother looks at him the way I'm sure I look at you." Johanna has quickly adapted to calling Linnet "mother", her marriage to Antony would only solidify and legalize the relationships between the three.

"Regardless of how my mother looks at that man, what he deserves is a swift kick in the arse for not seeing what she could have been for him and if I ever see him again I intend to deal him one." Antony huffed.

"Oh love you know you don't mean that." Johanna chided.

"Oh yes, I do." He crossed his arms causing a giggle to erupt from Johanna before she planted a chaste kiss on his pouty lips.

"Let's not think on it anymore, let's just enjoy the day before it's time to go in." She smiled.

"I just hate the thought of Mother sitting at that blasted window, waiting for a sign that's not coming." He sighed.

"We've tried everything we could darling, the only person who can help her now is herself; she has to pull herself out of it knowing that there are still those that love her and that if Mr. Todd has opted to cast her aside, she must do the same to him."

In fact Linnet had stopped mournfully gazing out the window and was in the kitchen making herself feel useful. Rachelle was bedridden as the later stages of her pregnancy were proving to be quite exhausting for her so Linnet began preparing dinner for everyone. Thatcher would be home from work soon and as the first echo of thunder rolled through the sky, she knew Antony and Johanna would not be long either. She first made up a plate of sliced fruit and some cheese and crackers for Rachelle to snack on as her appetite seemed to be lax as of late, which would have absolutely terrified Thatcher had he not already gone through the experience with his sister almost eighteen years ago. Linnet recalled that he had rung the doctor almost seven times a day at any hour during her own pregnancy having endless questions about her condition and what was considered "normal". Thankfully the experience made him more prepared for his own wife's ordeal, Dr. Carmichael was thankful as well.

She took the plate in to Rachelle and went back to preparing the stew for their own dinner. It wasn't long before a faint whistling could be heard followed by Thatcher's appearance through the kitchen archway, "Hello sister dearest." He greeted cordially with a slight skip in his step before noisily kissing her cheek. Linnet giggled as he danced his way through the kitchen towards his bedroom door in the hallway, popping his head through the door momentarily to inform Linnet of the "gentleman caller" she had waiting on the stoop.

"You can tell Mr. Parker thanks but no thanks." She replied, throwing a dish rag at his retreating figure.

"Not Mr. Parker!" He called back before disappearing behind the safety of his bedroom door.

Linnet sighed and made her way to the front door to inform whoever it was that she was not looking for anyone to whisk her away. _Whatever made men think that a woman could not be content with just herself and her family needed to be destroyed,_ she thought as she opened the door.

Her heart clenched and her breath stilled for the barest of moments when she saw none other than Sweeney standing before her. He said nothing as his sorrowful eyes gazed back at her, and nothing needed to be said. Linnet could see how ragged he looked. Obviously he hadn't changed his clothes since the few days they had spent apart, he hadn't bothered to shave either and Linnet wondered if he had even bothered for a meal. With his shoulders slumped and tears slowly gathering in his eyes the longer her silence continued, Linnet realized that he had never before looked so human.

It seemed that whatever vengeance Sweeney needed on behalf of Benjamin was finally gone. Benjamin was at peace and as such, had granted that peace to Sweeney. This new Benjamin, a revitalized Sweeney, embodied everything she loved in him. It was this realization that had her catapulting into his arms - regardless of his pungent stench - and as their bodies collided, booming thunder rolled, foreshadowing the imminent shower to become a raging storm.

"I'm so sorry." Sweeney pleaded. Both so wrapped in each other, neither were able to acknowledge the furious boy beneath the cover of trees being held back only by his relatively frail fiancé.

"Why?" Linnet answered back.

"**Just one more moment, that's all I needed.**

**Like wounded soldiers, in need of healing.**

**Time to be honest, this time I'm pleading,**

**Please don't dwell on it, 'cause I didn't mean it.**

**I could not believe what I had done, what lay on the ground…**" Sweeney's tears finally fell in time with the scattered raindrops leaking from the growing black mass above them, "**But it doesn't matter 'cause I've changed my ways, forgive me now.**

**Every day I spend away my soul's inside out,**

**Must be some way that I can make it up to you now, somehow.**" The storm broke and soaked them both within seconds, the sounds of water slapping skin and cobblestone musically emphasizing his every word, "**By now you know that I'll come for you,**

**No one but you, yes I'll come for you,**

**But only if you told me to.**

**And I'll fight for you,**

**I'll lie, it's true,**

**Give my life for you,**

**You know I'll always come for you.**

**I was blindfolded, but now I'm seeing.**

**My mind was closing, now I'm believing.**

**I finally know just what it means to let someone in,**

**To see the side of me that no one does or ever will,**

**So if you're ever lost and find yourself all alone,**

**I'd search forever just to bring you home.**

**Here and now, this I vow.**

**By now you know that I'll come for you,**

**No one but you, yes I'll come for you,**

**But only if you told me to.**

**And I'll fight for you,**

**I'll lie, it's true,**

**Give my life for you,**

**You know I'll always come for you.**

**You know I'll always come for you.**" Linnet's tears joined his own as she clasped her hands to his face, pressing their foreheads together. Sweeney's hands held her wrists gently as he continued to serenade her with every heartfelt promise.

"**No matter what gets in my way,**

**As long as there's still life in me,**

**No matter what remember you know I'll always come for you.**

**Yes I'll come for you,**

**No one but you, yes I'll come for you,**

**But only if you told me to.**

**And I'll fight for you,**

**I'll lie, it's true,**

**Give my life for you,**

**You know I'll always come for you.**

**I'll crawl across this world for you,**

**Do anything you want me to,**

**No matter what remember, you know I'll always come for you.**

**You know I'll always come for you.**" As his voice faded into the rain, he lowered his lips to hers in the gentle whisper of a kiss.

"I forgive you."

"But I don't."

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**review please! epilogue coming in just a minute ;) **

**(maybe two)**


	17. Epilogue

"I forgive you."

"But I don't." Antony's voice called from behind them, "Johanna, you should wait inside before you catch your death." As Johanna obeyed his request, he turned back to the pair.

"Antony, you don't understand the situation." Linnet pleaded to her son, afraid of what he may do.

"I cannot let what you did to my mother go unpunished." Antony spoke directly to Sweeney, "Unhand my mother sir." He hissed through gritted teeth.

Sweeney calmly obeyed, not wanting to further anger the boy. This surprised both mother and son, though only the former would show it, as the old Sweeney was more likely to scoff and hold her more tightly out of spite.

"Now turn around and face her." Antony continued in the same tone indicating all seriousness. Sweeney complied and no sooner had he when, to Linnet's absolute shock, mortification, and mild amusement, Antony reeled back his leg and delivered a direct boot to Sweeney's arse.

"Antony!" Linnet scolded over Sweeney's cry.

"I said I'd kick his arse for what he did to you and I meant it. Now he's forgiven." With that put simply, Antony walked calmly inside to inform his soon-to-be-bride.

Linnet turned to Sweeney with a small smile on her face, "Are you alright?"

"Fine." He squeaked before clearing his throat, "Um, I'm fine. I did deserve it." He replied, rubbing his throbbing bottom with a sheepish look on his face, "I'm sure I'd feel better once I had your lips."

Linnet chuckled, pushing him away before he could kiss her, "Come on inside. You sir need a bath before I do anything else to you tonight." She winked as she turned her back to him.

Sweeney looked to the heavens with a broad grin on his face, "Not even married and she's already a wife." He chuckled, "And so the institution begins."

Not two years had passed when both Johanna and Antony, and Sweeney and Linnet were expecting the first children to sanctify their marriages. Johanna's due date was still two months away while Linnet, complaining of her whale-like resemblance, was due any day.

"I wasn't this big with Antony." She whined, "I'm huge. I'm grotesque."

"Darling you are not grotesque, you are round with our child. At least we can tell he'll be healthy." Sweeney joked as they lay in bed together, he rubbing her stomach.

"How do you know it's a boy? It may be a girl. I'd like a girl, I've already had a boy." Linnet pouted.

"Do you know any girl that would grow to that size?"

"So you admit I'm huge?"

Sweeney's face deadpanned, no matter how long passed, some traits of Benjamin would never fade, "That's not what I meant, love."

"I don't care what you bloody meant it's what you said and I-ah!" Linnet's face clenched in pain as contractions rampaged her abdomen.

"What? What is it? Are you alright?"

"Do I look bloody alright? Call the midwife! I'm in labor you imbecile!"

"Mr. Todd?" The midwife called to him.

"What happened? Is she alright? My baby? Our baby? A boy?"

"Calm down Mr. Todd. They're all fine, your wife is resting and you were half right."

"Half?"

"Congratulations Mr. Todd. You've just had twins. Mr. Todd? You look rather pale, are you sure _you're _alright? Mr. Todd? Mr. Todd!"

Sweeney collapsed to the floor, "Twins." He whispered to himself with a smile.

Once Sweeney and Linnet came back into their consciousness, they agreed to name their little girl Emma Lucy Todd, and their little boy Benjamin Barker Todd, in memory of their two friends who would never truly leave them.

Linnet, holding Emma turned to Sweeney, "I swear to you that I'll always be here. I'll give anything and everything to you. Thank you so much." She said through her streaming tears of happiness.

"I should be thanking you, love. You've given me the greatest joy. I promise you that I'll always care for you through weakness, strength, happiness, and sorrow."

"For better for worse."

"I love you."

"With every beat of my heart."

_Live well and prosper, for it is **The Greatest Revenge.**_

_~ The Talmud_

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So honestly speaking, who noticed that there wasn't a quote at the beginning of this chapter? Haha I hope you have been reading those and not just skipping past them to the chapter because it took a lot of effort to find them.

BROWNIE POINTS TO WHOEVER CAN NAME THE NOT SO HIDDEN SONG

and that is the end **takes bow**

one last review?

**SHAMELESS PLUG/TEASER: for anyone who's been following my pirates story, i made a title page for the third movie and personally i think it turned out really great compared to the other ones i did which kinda suck haha, and there's a pretty big hint as to the big question of everybody's favorite purple one!**


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